Doctrines and opinions concerning justification of the faithfull before God to wit First that faith as it is in every beleever a guift of God even as it is inherent in him and is his owne faith and beleeving is the onely thing which God of his grace and mercy and out of his absolute sovereigne power and dominion is pleased to ordaine appoynt and account for all the righteousnesse which a man shall have for his justification though in truth and in strictnesse of the Law and according to the rule of justice it is no righteousnes being weake oftentimes and full of infirmities That the spirit of God by the Apostle in these words did not intend or meane any of the Communion of the righteousnes and perfect obedience performed by Christ to the Law as our surety and in our stead nor any imputation of that righteousnes to every true beleever for justification nor Gods accepting of the faithfull for righteous by their communion of that righteousnes applied possessed and enjoyed by faith By faith and beleeving they doe not understand that guift and worke of Gods spirit in the elect regeneraâ—e and sanctified by which they doe beleeve and are perswaded that they are in Christ and Christ is their head and they as members have communion of all his benefits even of his full satisfaction and perfect righteousnes for remission of all their sinnes and for justification and by this perswasion and beleeving they have a sweet and lively sence feeling and fruition of Christs satisfaction and righteousnes and rest on them as on the covering and propitiation of their sinnes and their righteousnes by which they stand righteous before God and are justified but by faith and beleeving they understand no more but a confidence in God that he will performe his promises made in Christ and an assent unto his word that it is true the tenour of which word and promises they conceive to be this that Christ in his pure perfect humane nature by his righteousnes sufferings and obedience unto death hath merited such high favour with God that God in honour to him is pleased to accept and account the faith of them that beleeve him to bee a sufficient Saviour for righteousnes and requires noe other righteousnes to constitute them and make them after any sort formally righteous in their justification When they acknowledge that Christ his perfect satisfaction and righteousnes is the meritorious cause of our justification they doe not meane that Christ his satisfaction and righteousnes are communicated to us and by faith so apprehended and possessed that wee thereby are indeed and in Gods account righteous before God and are justified and they deserve that hee should so account us for them but this is their mind and meaning that Christ by his righteousnes and obedience hath merited that God for his sake should account faith to us for righteousnes without either our owne workes of the Law or his righteousnes imputed to us and made ours by communion and when they say faith is imputed for righteousnes as an instrument they meane not as the spirituall hand or instrument applying Christ his righteousnes to bee after a sort the formall righteousnes of the beleever but that faith as it is the instrument by which the beleever doth beleeve that Christ hath purchased this favour that faith should be the onely thing accounted to him for righteousnes The Orthodoxe Exposition I will prove and confirme from the wordes of the Apostle himselfe and other strong Arguments in the first place and afterwards will confute and overthrow the Hereticall Exposition The true Exposition defended FOr the right understanding of the Apostles wordes three things are first to be considered and explained First what is here meant by faith and beleeving Secondly what righteousnes is here meant Thirdly what is meant by imputation By faith in this place wee must not understand that naturall habit and power which is common to all reasonable men who upon their knowledge of things spoken or promised doe give willing assent unto them that they are true either for the Authority of the speaker whom they doe respect and judge to bee faithfull or because they see good reason in the things spoken and promised and if the things promised tend to their owne good they rest upon them confidently and perswade themselves that they are sure and certaine of them already or shall receive and enjoy them in due time without faile But here by faith we are to understand that supernaturall guift and grace of beleeving wrought in the elect regenerate by the spirit shed on them abundantly through Iesus Christ Tit. 3. 6. which is therefore called most holy faith Iude 20. this faith agreeeth with the other in these foure poynts First as that is an habit and power of beleeving so is this secondly as that containes in it notitiam in intellectu a knowledge and notice of the things spoken beleeved so doth this And as that containes in it assensum in voluntate an assent of the wil so doth this also And as that faith when it goeth no further is called historical so this also And as that faith when it reacheth to good things promised to our selves particularly to apply them and rest on them hath also fiduciam in corde affectionibus a trust and confidence of the heart and affections in it so hath this also and is cald a firme perswasion trust confidence but they differ in divers things First that is a naturall power or habit This is spirituall wrought in men by the Spirit of God dwelling in them and uniting them to Christ in one mysticall body Secondly that hath in it no knowledge but naturall arising from light of naturall reason nor any assent of the will or confidence in the heart and affections but such as are drawne stirred up and wrought by meanes of naturall light and common causes this hath in it a spirituall knowledge arising from the spirit of God enlightning the understanding the Spirit also enclines and moves the will to give assent and confirmes the heart with confidence and firme perswasion Thirdly that is common to all reasonable men This is proper to the elect regenerate and sanctified by the holy Ghost shed on them through Christ and is the first and the radicall grace and vertue of renovation 4. That hath for the object or things beleeved either naturall and worldly things onely or things heavenly and supernaturall seene and discern'd through the darke mist of naturall reason and assented to rested on with a carnall and unsanctified will and heart This hath for the object things supernaturall and heavenly and spirituall discerned by supernaturall light assented to with an holy and sanctified will confirmed to the heart by a spirituall sence and sweet taste of the things promised wrought by the holy Spirit in the true beleever apprehending and applying them But to come neere to the Text the
his servant that is Let him not thinke or judge his servant guilty nor deale with him or use him as a Conspiratour Sometimes it signifies by a Metonymie of the cause for the effect condemning and punishing an offence in a guilty person as he hath deserved and to deale with him and use him as hee is justly thought and judged to have deserved as 2 Sam. 19. 19. Shimei said Let not my Lord impute iniquity unto me he doth not desire that David would not thinke nor judge nor count his iniquitie to be no iniquitie that had beene against all reason but that for the satisfaction which he had made in coming first of all to the house of Joseph to meet David and to bring him againe to his Kingdome David would graciously pardon his offence and not proceed against him and punish him as justly and worthy of punishment Sometimes it signifies by a Metaphor to count one thing as it were another or no better then another or of the same value as Prov. 27. 14. where a flattering salutation or blessing given with a loud voyce is said to be counted a Curse that is esteemed no better then if it were a Curse Somtimes to use one as if he counted him of another Condition as Gen. 31. 15. where it is said of Laban that he counted his Daughters strangers that is used them as if he had counted them strangers and Iob. 31. 10. where Iob saith that God counteth him for his enemy that is afflicteth and plagueth him as if he counted him an enemy Somtimes the word signifies to skore up or to put upon a mans account or reckoning either the offence or debt which he himselfe runs into as Rom. 5. 13. where it is said that sinne is not imputed when there is no Law that is it is not â—o skored up that men are punished for it and it is not judged and punished in them or the debt which he takes upon him for another as Philemon verse 18. If he hath wronged thee or is indebted to thee put that on mine account that is impute and count it to me and set it on my skore Now the severall significations of the severall wordes being thus laid open I proceed more particularly to the true sense and meaning of every word in these speeches and to shew how far the speeches may be extended And first by Faith and beleeving which is counted to every true beleever and was counted to Abraham for righteousnesse I understand here according to the judgment of the most Orthodox Divines the true holy spirituall faith and beleefe which is before shewed to have bin in Abraham and which is proper to the elect regenerate and is said to be imputed to them for righteousnesse Bâ—righteousnesse is here meant Evangelical righteousnesse which is opposed to the legal righteousnesse of workes which is inherent in every man and is every mans fulfilling of the Law in his owne person even the perfect satisfaction and righteousnesse of Christ God and man â—uâ—mediator and surety which he the Son of God in mans Nature performed to the Law and which is apprehended by every true beleever and applied to himselfe by a lively saith and whereof he hath communion and is truely made partaker by his Spirituall union with Christ of whose mysticall body he is a member being Bâ—ptized and engrafâ—ed thereinto by one Spirit By the imputing and counting of that faith for righteousnesse to Abraham and to every one of his faithfull seed is here ment Gods setting of Christs righteousnesse on the skore and puting it on the account of every truâ—beleever and and his jâ—dging esteeming and counting them no more guilty of sinne but perfectly righteous by that Evangelical righteousnesse which is called the righteousnesse of God 2 Cor. 5. last ver. because it is the righteousnesse of God performed in our Nature and the righteousnesse of faith and not of workes because the faithfull obtaine and enjoy and apply it by beleeving and not by working the workes of the Law Rom. 4. 11. 13. For the confirmation of this exposition and justifying of this truth we need seek no further Arguments but such as may be gathered from the Apostles owne words as in other of his Epistles so especially in this to the Romans The first argument is drawne from the wordes of the Apostle in the second chap of this Epistle verse 26. where this word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} as it signifies to be imputed or counted is first used If saith hee the uncircumcision keep the righteousnes of the Law shall not his uncircumcision bee counted for Circumcision by uncircumcision in the first clause we cannot understand the fore-skinne of the flesh not cut off it is most absurd and against common sense and reason to thinke or to suppose that it can or could performe and keepe the righteousnes of the Law but by vncircumcision is ment a Gentile not circumcised as Beza the most learned judicious and accurate Critik and searcher out of the sense of everyword and sentence in the new Testament doth expound the word and so we have in this word a Metonymie of the aâ—janct for the Subject The same word in the second clause as Bâ—za also well observes doth not here signify the foreskin or uncircumcision in a proper sense for that cannot but most falsely be reputed and counted for circumcision because they are contradictories one to another but the state and condition of him who is uncircumcised even the outward state of Gentilisme and here is another Metonymie of the same kind even the signe put for the thing signified yea it signifies not the state of a Gentile or uncircumcised man barely considered in it selfe but as comprehending in it the righteousnesse of the Law which the man uncircumcised hath kept and performed in that state as the words necessarily imply for the Apostle doth not here suppose onely uncircumcision but the observation of the righteousnesse of the Law in the state of uncircumcision and so here is a Metalepsis or double trope even a metonymie also of the thing conteyning for the thing contained that is of the Subject for the adjunct and also of the cause for the effect that is the man in the state of uncircumcision keeping the righteousnes of the law for the righteousnes of the law by him performed By circumcision we cannot understand the outward cuting away of the foreskin of the flesh neither â—aken literaly and carnally as the corrupt Jewes did take it for a worke of righteousnes and obedience to the Law for justification so it was an obligation by which the circumcised was bound under pain of cutting off for ever to performe the whole Law as appeares Gal. 5. 3. And for a righteous Gentile to be brought under this bondage was no benefit but a miserable condition neither can circumcision be here taken sacramentally as it was an outward signe and seale of the righteousnes of faith and of Mortification and
is used is to be judged the best exposition this none can with any reason deny for the Spirit of God speaking in Scripture is the best expounder of his owne meaning Now this exposition that imputing or counting a thing for righteousnes is no more but declaring a man thereby to be righteous and giving him the Testimony of righteousnes is warranted by other Scriptures wheresoever it is used Therefore this is to be judged the best exposition For confirmation of the assumption or minor we have that place of holy Scripture Psal. 106. in which onely and no where else a thing is said to be imputed or counted to a man for righteousnes viz. Phineas his godly zealous act of executing judgement on Zimri and Câ—sbi then Phineas stood up saith the Psalmist and executed judgement and that was counted to him for righteousnes now no man can understand that this act was accepted of God for righteousnes to justification for then a man may be iustified before God by one godly and zealous act of his owne which is that which the Apostle utterly condemneth for a grosse errour and bends his whole discourse against it The true sense and meaning of this phrase is no more but this that Phineas performing such a godly zealous act as is proper to a faithfull righteous man onely who hath the Spirit of regeneration and of sanctification dwelling in him uniting him to Christ and making him by faith a true partaker of 〈◊〉 righteousnes God upon this act gave him the Testimony of righteousnes and declared him to be a righteous man truely iustified Therefore the phrase of imputing or counting faith for righteousnes signifieth no more but this that the true beleever is counted a righteous man and God giveth him the Testimony of righteousnes because he is indeed partaker of Christs righteousnes which he hath apprehended and applied by faith If I should insist upon humane testimonies and the opinions of Orthodox expositours of these wordes both ancient and moderne for the further proofe of this exposition a large volume would be little enough for the particular rehearsing of them all let these five arguments suffice The Confutation of the false exposition made by Socinus and other Hereticks his Disciples as Wotton Goodwin and their Companions FIrst whereas they hould that faith in a proper literall sense that is considered in it selfe without relation to any other thing is counted to every true beleever for righteousnes to iustification and God requireth in and of us no other thing for righteousnes neither our workes performed in our owne persons according to the Law nor Christs perfect righteousnes and fulfilling of the Law made ours by spirituall union and communion and accepted of God for us This I prove to be false hereticall and blasphemous by these Arguments following First Faith taken in a proper sense is a part of our conformity and obedience to the Law of God which above all things requires that we give honour to God by beleeving him and his word and trusting in him as our onely Rock and the God of our strength and salvation They therefore teaching That faith in a proper sense is counted for righteousnes do teach that we are iustified by a worke of obedience to the Law performed in our owne persons and that this is the onely righteousnes which God requires any way of us for iustification Therefore their opinion is hereticall more impious then the Pelagian and Popish Heresies concerning iustification Secondly that which was imputed to Abraham and is imputed to true beleevers is righteousnes so the Apostle affirmes ver. 6. and 11. But faith is not righteousnes taken in a proper sense for righteousnes is a perfect conformity to the Law as sinne is transgression of the Law Therefore faith in a proper sense is not righteousnes Thirdly that which chargeth God with error and falsehood in his iudgement is blasphemy This opinion that God counts faith for righteousnes that is thinketh iudgeth and esteemeth it to be righteousnesse taken in a proper sense chargeth God with error and falsehood in his Iudgement Therefore it is blasphemy If they pleade that God by his soveraigne power may graciously count that which is not righteousnes for righteousnes to the beleever I answere that God by his soveraigne power cannotly nor erre nor Iudge unrighteously it is contrary to his infinite and eternal Iustice which wil not be satisfied without fulfilling of his iust Law and perfect righteousnes communicated and imputed to us Therefore this is a base shift and wicked pretence devised to cover their blasphemy by that which is indeed a greater blasphemy Fourthly that opinion which denyeth and taketh away the meanes by which God is revealed to be infinitely Iust mercifull and wise and makes the satisfaction of Christ and his perfect fulfilling of the Law a vaine and needlesse thing is most Hereticall impious and blasphemous This opinion that God by his soveraigne power can and doth count and accept faith in a proper sense for righteousnes to Iustification without imputation of Christs satisfaction and righteousnes takes away these meanes and makes Christs fulfilling of the Law a vaine and needlesse thing Therefore it is an impious hereticall and blasphemous opinion The meanes by which God is revealed to be infinitly Iust mercifull and wise are these Namely First that he cannot be reconciled to man without a full satisfaction made to his iust Law by mens surety in their stead and by him communicated to them and made theirs as truely as if they had fulfilled the Law in their owne persons and though the satisfaction be of infinite valve yet it cannot profit them till they have communion of it and be partakers thereof this is that which reveales God to be infinitely Iust and that his infinit iustice being so strict he would mercifully give his owne Son to become man and in mans nature to make such a full satisfaction for men and by his Spirit shed on them through Christ would unite them unto him in one body and communicate him with all his benefits and satisfaction to them to be truely theirs and to satisfy for them This reveales his infinite mercy bounty and wisedome And by these meanes this opinion takes away Gods iustice while it sets God forth to be such a one as can dispence with is iustice and accept faith in a proper sense for righteousnes which is no righteousnes but onely a weake imperfect worke and duty which we owe to the Law If Gods justice may thus be dispensed with and a weake thing in fraile man counted for righteousnes without any communion or imputation What need was there of Christs Death suffering and obedience God might as well have accepted the sacrifice of a Lamb or the suffering and obedience of a meere man and so the full satisfaction of Christ is vaine and needlesse and it was want of wisedome in God to spend so much of Christs blood and obedience in vaine when by his
of the Law and that is it which he heare saith is imputed for righteousnes Now faith and beleeving in the proper and formall signification is that which they must doe and performe to their justification which also God requires of them inst ad of the workes of the Law and will accept at their hands instead of them Therefore it is faith in a proper sense which is here by the Apostle to be counted for righteousnes In the first proposition we have an heape of lyes mixt with contradiction first in that he saith the scope of the Apostle is to put men from the false way of justification which lies through workes and to discover the true way by making them know what they must doe and performe for justification here like a mad or drunken man he contradicts himselfe for who doth not see that the way of doing and performing is the way which lyes through workes and that if a thing done and performed by us be counted for righteousnes to iustification then the way of iustification lies through workes done by us which if they be iust and lawfull are workes of the Law Secondly if he by the way which lay through workes understands mens owne workes done in obedience to the Law of God it is true which he saith that this is the false way and that which hee calls the true way viz. by mens doing and performing is either the same with it or else worse and so hee speakes a most grosse untruth in calling it the true way being the same with the false way but if by the way which lies through workes he meanes seeking after Christs righteousnes which consists in workes of obedience to the Law then his wordes are most false wicked and blasphemous in that he calls this the false way to iustification Thirdly in that he saith God requires something to be don and performed by men for their iustification and that is it which the Apostle saith is imputed for righteousnes this is most false neither doth the Apostle intend any such thing in this place for this is to set up iustification by doing and workes of our owne which he altogether opposeth and his whole scope is bent against it and to shew that all which we are to looke to is to receive that which is freely given of God and imputed to us for righteousnes that is the righteousnes of him who is God as he often calls it in this Epistle as Rom. 3. 2. and 10. 3. here then behold how hee makes the new covenant a conditionall Covenant and not of free grace promising iustification and salvation upon condition of mens doing In briefe besides the contradictions and other absurdities and untruthes in this Argument before noted I finde these grosse errours in the carriage of it One is in that he saith God doth not require of us the righteousnes of Christ for iustification this hee required of Christ himselfe To which I answer that God requires nothing of us for our iustification for wee are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Iesus Christ Rom. 3. 24 that is by the free gift and communion of the satisfaction which Christ made for our redemption but yet the thing which God requires in our behalfe is that satisfaction and righteousnes of Christ and the qualification of us for the receiving applying and enjoying of that righteousnes for iustification is faith which is not of our selves but is the gift of God Ephes. 2. 8. for God worketh in us the will and power to beleeve and actuall beleeving also Phil. 2. 13. and all this by his spirit dwelling in us uniting us to Christ and so bringing us to communion of all his benefits even of his righteousnes to iustification and this is the true intent and scope of the Apostle to draw us from seeking iustification by any worke which we can doe or which God requires of us for that end and to make us looke up to the redemption which is in Christ and in his satisfaction apprehended by faith to rest for iustification as for this phrase of Gods requiring Christs righteousnes of us it is harsh and unsavoury yea absurd as if one should say God requires that the particular and individuall act done by another bee not done by him but by us which implies a contradiction but this that God requires the righteousnes of Christ not for our justification but of Christ himselfe this implies that Christ had need of iustification and was bound to fulfill the righteousnes of the Law for himselfe and savours of Socinian and Samosatenian Heresie which denies Christs God-head for if Christs humane nature being from the first conception most pure upright and holy was personally united to his God-head and so the Sonne of God and Heire of all things who can doubt but that in himselfe he was worthy of all Glory at Gods right hand from his birth as his taking of our nature upon him was altogether for us so his infirmities sufferings death and continuance on Earth for the performance of all righteousnesse and obedience to the whole Law was for us and for all the Elect who of old beleeved in him to come for them and who now doe in beleeve him exalted to Glory according to his humanity to thinke or say that he had need to justifie himselfe and to merit by his righteousnes the state of Glory is in effect to deny that he was God infinitely worthy of all Glory as he was the onely begotten Sonne of God and Heire of all things Another grosse error is that he calls faith and beleeving a thing don and performed by us when as the Apostle affirmes and all Christians confesse that our beleeving and faith is not of our selves but the gift of God and the worke and motion of his Spirit in us A third untruth and grosse absurdity or rather blasphemy is in the last wordes where he affirmes that if the Apostle had said unto them that they must bee justified by Christ or by Christs righteousnes this had beene rather to cast a snare upon them then to have opened a dore of life and saluation unto them Farre bee it from mee and all true Christians not to detest and curse with the curse of Anathema Maranatha that mouth which proclaimes and obstinately maintaines that teaching iustification by Christ and by his righteousnes is casting of a snare on men and not opening adore of life and salvation to them In the third place he layes down his arguments against the true Orthodox interpretation of Saint Pauls speeches concerning imputation of faith for righteousnes which interpretation he goeth about to overthrow by severall circumstances or passages in the context The first Argument reduced into forme runs thus that the Apostle who desired to speake to mens understanding should in the weighty point of iustification time after time and often without ever explaining himselfe or changing his speech use so strange harsh and
his owne sinne but ours not in himselfe but in us and in his 6. Sermon de verbis Apostoli God the Father saith he made him sinne that we might be made the righteousnes of God in him Behold here two things the righteousnes of God yet our owne in him not in our selves Leo the first in his 70. Epistle saith that by the innocency of one we are all made innocent and that by righteousnes derived unto men from him who hath taken mans nature upon him Bernard in his 190. Epistle saith as one hath borne the sinnes of all so the satisfaction of one is imputed to all It was not one which forfeited and another which satisfied for the head of the body is one Christ Also in Sermon ad Milites Templi he saith Death is made to flee away in the Death of Christ and Christs righteousnes is imputed to us And a little after he who hath willingly bin incarnate willingly suffered and beene willingly crucified will he keepe back his righteousnes onely from us And againe One man sinned and all are held guilty and shall the innocency of one viz. Christ bee imputed only to one Anselme in Rom. 5. saith that by the righteousnes of one comming upon all the elect they come unto iustification that they may bee iustified by participation of Christs righteousnes These with many other Testimonies which might be produced out of Ancient Writers from the Primitive times untill Luther doe abundantly shew that they all by faith imputed never dreamed of faith imputed in a proper sense but only the righteousnes of Christ apprehended by faith But to descend to Orthodox Writers of this last age since Luther It is well knowne that they generally held imputation of our sinnes to Christ and Christs satisfaction and righteousnes to us to be the forme of iustification by which beleevers are iustified Luther if wee may beleeve his owne wordes acknowledgeth that it was the Doctrine of Saint Bernard concerning justification by the righteousnes of Christ imputed and not by our owne workes which moved him first to loath the popish Doctrine and to grow into suspition and dislike of that religion And in his Commentary on the Galathians where he doth most highly extoll the righteousnes of faith and debateth the righteousnes of workes hee tels us that faith being weake in many of Gods Children cannot bee accepted for righteousnes of it selfe that is in a proper sense and therefore there is necessarily required imputation of righteousnes for justification in Gal. 3. 6. See further in the very wordes of Luther gathered out of his owne writings and digested into common places by Fabricius who cites the tome and page for every word and sentence which are these first concerning justifying faith he saith faith obtaines what the Law commands and what is that but obedience and righteousnes 1 Tom. pag. 32. And againe by Faith Christ is in us yea one body with us But Christ is righteous and a fulfiller of Gods Commandements wherefore wee all by him doe fulfill them while Christ is made ours by faith also Tom. 3. page 539. when Paul ascribes iustification to faith wee must of necessity understand that hee speakes of faith laying hold on Christ which makes Christ of efficacy against Death sinne and the Law Also 2. Tom. pag. 515. Faith settles us upon the workes of Christ without our owne workes and translates us out of the exile or captivity of our sinnes into the Kingdome of his righteousnes And Tom. 1. pag. 410. Sinne is not destroyed unlesse the Law be fulfilled But the Law is not fulfilled but by the righteousnesse of faith And page 437. To keepe the Law is to have or possesse Christ the perfect fulfiller of the Law And Tom. 4. Page 44. Faith iustifies because it apprehendeth and possesseth that treasure viz. Christ And Page 45. we say that Christ doth forme faith or is the forme of faith And Tom. 2. upon Genesis The laying hold on the promises is called sure and firme faith and doth justifie not as it is our worke but the worke of God These speeches shew plainely that Luther conceived Christ with his righteousnesse to bee after a sort the formall righteousnesse of the beleeverâ— though not formally inherent in him yet formally possessed and enjoyed by faith Concerning this justifying righteousnes Luther also teacheth that it is not in our selves but in Christ even his fulfilling of the Law for us made ours and imputed to us Tom. 1. page 106. By faith saith hee are our sinnes made no more ours but Christs upon whom God hath laid the iniquities of us all and he hath borne our sinnes and on the other side all his righteousnes is made ours for he layes his hand upon us And page 178. The righteousnesse of a Christian is anothers righteousnes and comes to him from without it is even Christ who is made unto us of God righteousnes so that a man may with confidence glory in Christ and say Christ his living doing and suffering is mine no otherwise then if I had lived don and suffered as he did as the Married man possesseth all which is his Wives and the Wife all the goods which are her Husbands for they have all things common because they are become one flesh and so Christ and the Church are one Spirit by faith in Christ Christs righteousnes is made our righteousnes and all his are ours yea he himselfe is ours And Tom. 2. page 86. The righteousnes by which we are iustified before God is not in our owne persons but without our selves in God because man shall have no cause to be puffed up with an opinion of his owne proper righteousnes before God And Tom. 2. page 385. A Christian is not formally righteous by reason of any substance or quality in him but relatively in relation to Christ in whom he hath true righteousnes Melancthon in Epist ad Rom. 8. 4. saith wherefore Pauls meaning is thus to be taken That Christ is given for us that we may bee counted to have satisfied the Law by him and that for him wee may be reputed righteous Although we our selves doe not satisfie the Law anothers fulfilling of it freely given to us and is imputed to us and so the Law is imputatively fulfilled in us and so when the Apostle saith that Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnes to every beleever that is he that hath Christ is righteous hee is reputed to have satisfied the Law and hee imputatively hath that which the Law requires And in chap. 10. 4. upon these wordes Christ is the end of the Law for righteousnes c. he saith this is the simple meaning Christ is the end that is the fulfilling of the Law to the beleever and he who hath Christ that is beleeves in Christ is righteous and hath imputatively what the Law requires The Booke of concord subscribed by so many hundred Euangelicall Ministers of the reformed Churches in Germany in the
beleeving which the Apostle speakes of in the 3. verse and also in the 9. and 22. verses is the faith and beleeving of Abraham who divers yeares before this beleeving which is said to be counted to him for righteousnes was called out of his owne Country and by faith obeyed Gods calling and went and soâ—ourned in the Land promised to him and his seed as appeares Heb. 11. 8. 9. he had overcome and slaughtered foure mighty Kings and their victorious armâ—es by faith and confidence in Gods promises anâ—Melchizedeck King of Salem the Priest of the most High God had blessed him as we read Gen. 14. and after thâ—se things the Lord appeared and spake to Abraham and said feare not I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward and withall hee renewed his promise of the blessed seed by meanes of which seed all the families of the Earth should be blessed in Abraham and should become his faithfull children besides his naturall seed and posterity which should come of the Sonne and Heire of his owne bowells as appeares Gen. 15. 1. 4. These were the promises which God made to Abraham and which Abraham beleeved to be true and resting upon the Lord by firme faith and beliefe for the performance of them the Lord counted it to him for righteousnes Gen. 15. 6. or as the Apostle expresseth the same sentence in the same sence though in wordes somewhat different it was counted to him verse 5. even faith was reckoned to him for righteousnes verse 9. Now this faith and beleeving was first an holy spirituall beleefe and the faith of a man long before called of God and saâ—ctified by his Spirit and made obedient to God and his word Secondly It was a beleefe not only of the promise of Christ the blessed seed in generall but more specially that Christ according to the flesh should come out of his owne bowels and that by Christ the Sonne of God made man of his seed the redemption both of him and of all his faithfull seed that is all true beleevers should be wrought and performed Gods wrath appeased the Law fulfilled Justice satisfied perfect righteousnes brought in for their justification and by his and their union with Christ by one spirit and Communion of all his benefits they should have God for their portion and reward for their sheild and defence and should not need to seeke the blessing and reward of eternall life from their owne workes or their owne righteousnes and fulfilling of the Law in their owne persons but meerely from the free grace of God and of his free guiâ—t in Christ as a reward of Christs righteousnesse freely given to them and of them apprehended by faith and beleeving Thirdly this faith of Abraham was not a weake but a strong faith and beliefe without staggering even a full perswasion that God who quickneth the dead and calleth those things which be not as if they were and was able to make good and to performe what hee had promised yea it was a beleeving in hope against hope that God could out of a dead body and womb raise up a lively seed and make them spiritually righteous who are by nature and according to the Law wicked sinners All these things are manifest by the places before cited Gen 15. and by the expresse wordes of the Apostle in this chap from the tenth verse to the end of the Chapter And thus you see what is meant by faith which is here said to be counted for righteous Secondly the righteousnes here meant is not the righteousnes which is according to the strictnesse and tenour of the Law that is righteousnes of a mans own works performed by every man in his owne person to the Law of God for the Apostle doth dispute altogether against that righteousnes and proves that neither Abraham was justified or counted of God righteous for it as appeares in the 2. 5. 6. 13. verses nor any other at any time as appeares in the Chapter before And Chap. 8. 3. and 9. 32. 10. 3. But here is meant an Euangelicall righteousnes which doth not consist in any worke or workes performed by a man himselfe in his owne person nor in any grace or vertue inherent in himselfe but is a righteousnesse which God of his owne free grace doth impute to the true Beleever who by one Spirit is united to Christ and hath communion with him and is called the righteousnes of Faith and doth exclude legal justification by righteousnesse of a mans owne workes as appeares in the whole discourse of the Apostle in this and the former Chapter and in diverse other places of this Epistle especially ver. 13. of this 4 Chap. and in Chap. 3. 27. 28. Thirdly the phrase of imputing or counting a thing to one signifies both in the Old and New Testament an Act of judgement and estimation by which a thing is judged esteemed reckoned and accounted to be as it is indeed and then it is just and according to truth but when a thing is counted or judged thought and esteemed to be as it is not then it is unjust and not according to truth Now Gods thoughts are alwaies just and his judgement is according to truth Rom. 2. 2. And therefore a lust imputing and counting is here ment for God doth account and Iudge of all persons and things so as they are Of uniust counting and imputing falâ—ely we have some examples in Scripture as 1 Kings 1 21. where Bathsheba saith to David I and my Sonne Solomon shallbe counted offenders that is vsurping Adonijah and his wicked Company will so esteeme and judge us of reputing and counâ—ing truely as the thing is we have examples also as Nehemiah 13. 13. where it is said of the chosen Levites that they were counted faithfull viz upon former experience of their faithfulnes and therefore the Office of distributing to theâ—Brethren was counted to them And Levit 17. 4. â—here it is said Blood shall be imputed to that man he hath shed blood and shall be cut off from among his people And Psal 22. 30. a sâ—ed shall serve him it shallbe counted to the Lord for a generation Moreover this word impute or count signifies sometimes in the most proper sense a bare Act of the Iudgment and thought as Pro. 17. 28. where a â—oole is said to be counted wise when he holdeth his peace that is men for the present judge or thinke him wise at least in that point of silence Sometimes it signifies in a more full sense not onely thinking Iudging and counting persons to be good or bad just or unjust innocent or guilty but also dealing with them and using them accordingly as in the places before named 1 Kings 1. 21. Nehem. 13. 13. and Levit. 17. 4. and Psal 22. 30. also 1 Sam. 2â— 15. where Abimelech purging himselfe before Saul from the offence of conspiracy with David against him as Doeg had falsely accused him saith Let not the King impute any thing unto
is more scandalous and offensive that he professing the holy Ghost to be the best iudge for determining controversies doth immediately contradict himselfe by saying that he leaves his meaning and intent to be debated by men and makes such men as himselfe stamped with a rationall Authority the judges of his meaning What is this but the heresie of the Arminians who hold that their right reason as they call it and not the word of the spirit speaking plainely in the Scriptures is the best Iudge of the spirits meaning and intent in obscure places and how scandalous and offensive it is for him to profes such excellent things of himselfe before hand and in the whole progresse of his disputation to run so far from the Spirits meaning and from all right reason as I shall prove by my siâ—â—ing and answering of his Arguments I leave to the Godly wise and learned to Judge His first Argument FIrst he undertakes to prove That faith in a proper senâ—e is affirmed by the Apostle to be imputed for righteousnes and not the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith Because the phrase of imputing faith for righteousnes is once yea twice yea a third and fourth time used by the Apostle in this Chapter and therefore hath all the Authority and countenance from the Scriptures that wordes can give whereas the imputation of Christs righteousnesse hath not the least reliefe either from any sound of wordes or sight of letter in the Scriptures Answere IN this Argument he shewes himselfe as bould in affirming manifest untruthes as ignorant both of Rhetorick and Logick In Rhetorick it is counted an excellent ornament of speech to continue a trope and it is called an Allegory he is ignorant who knoweth not this In Logick he is counted a boldlying Sophister who holds that a Syllogisme a true and perfect Argument hath a proposition which is manifestly false And what more grosse ignorance in Logick then to hold two propositions to be negative and affirmative in respect of one another which consist of divers subjects and that an affirmative and the negative may both be true All these absurdities appeare in this Argument First in that he affirmes the Apostles speech to be proper and the sense to be properly literall because he useth the same phrase foure times hereby he shewes his Ignorance of the continuance of a trope which Rhetoricians esteeme an elegant Allegory and which is most frequent in the Scripture For Jer. 26. the Lord is said to repent 3 severall times viz. ver. 3. 13. 19. and yet the speech is not proper but improper for God cannot properly be said to repent as appeares Num. 23. 19. 1 Sam. 15. 29. Here then he sheweth as much Ignorance of Rhetoricke and of the frequent use of rhetorical Allegories in the Scripture as he seemes to shew of Logick when he makes his affirmative viz. Faith is imputed for righteousnes and affirmes it to be true and withall saith that the negative intâ—parably accompanying it is a truth also when Logick teacheth that if the affirmative be true the negative must needs be false If by the negative he meanes this viz. Christs righteousnesse is not imputed He erres two waies from Logick first by calling the negative inseparably accompanying his affirmative Secondly by speaking ambiguously a speech which may beare divers senses which Logick abhorres in a disputation Secondly he shewes himselfe a bould lving Sophister when he affirmes most falsely and impudently 〈◊〉 That no truth in Religion nor article of our faith can boast of the Letter that is of the proper literall sense of the Scripture more full expresse and pregnant then that speech or proposition which is foure times used in one Chapter For the contrary is most manifestly true as divers places shew where one and the same thing is often affirmed and yet the speech is not proper but tropicall I will instance in one place which is most convincing viz. Gal. 3. where the word Faith is ten times used in an improper sense for the word of faith the Gospel as it is opposed to the Law carnallie understood viz. verse 3 5 7 8 9 12 14 22 23 25. Now the maine proposition-of his Syllogisme being so manifestly false his conclusion inferred from thence is certainely most false viz. that this speech of Saint Paul Faith is counted for righteousnes is properly literall and not improper and tropicall The second Argument coâ—ched under the other runs thus if it be reduced into aâ—Syllogisme That which hath not the least releife either from any sound of wordes or sight of letter in the Scripture is an untruth and a meere fiction the imputation of Christs righteousnes hath not the least releife either from sound of wordes or sight of letter in Scripture Therefore it is a meere fiction The Assumption or Minor of this Syllogisme is most false and therefore the conclusion hath no truth in it I prove it most false by the Apostles owne wordes for in the fourth v. he saith that to the blessed man God imputeth righteousnes without workes and verse 11. where he saith that as to Abraham faith was imputed before hee was circumcised so God shewed that righteousnes should be imputed to the beleeving Gentiles though uncircumcised In which two places he shewes that by beleeving and faith imputed to Abraham and all true beleevers the Spirit of God meanes righteousnes couched under the name of faith and beleeving Now this righteousnes cannot be faith it selfe in a proper sense for every act of faith is a worke but this is a righteousnes imputed to us without workes done by us in our owne persons besides faith and all the beleeving of the most faithfull cannot make up one duty or worke of true and perfect righteousnes such as God can impute to justification for faith in the best beleevers even in Abraham himselfe was stayned with many doubtings fears But here must needes bâ—e meant that righteousnes in which the most just God can see no imperfection and therefore counts it for righteousnes to justifie all that are partakers of it And this can bee no other but the righteousnes which Christ God and man performed in mans nature therefore the contrary of the Assumption is most true The third which hee calls his second mayne Argument or proofe is drawne from the scope of the place and the intent of the Apostle in his discourse of justification here in these Chapters of this Epistle it runs thus being reduced into a Syllogisme The scope of the place and intent of the Apostle is to hedge up as it were with thornes the false way of justification which lay through workes and to put men by from attempting any going that way and also to discover the true way of justification to them that is to make knowne unto them what they must doe and what God requires of them for justification and what hee will accept at their hands instead of the workes
cites out of Tertullian Origen Iustin Martyr Chrysostom Augustine Primasius Beda Haymo and Anselme and out of later Writers to wit Luther Bucer Peter Martyr Calvin Musculus Bullinger Gualâ—er Aretius Illyricus Pelicanus Humius Beza Iunius Pareus they are no more but what Saint Paul saith and we all acknowledg and imbrace for truth namely that Abraham beleeving God was counted a righteous man and faith was counted to him for righteousnesse and so are we all iustified not by our owne righteousnesse and workes of the Law performed in our owne persons but by faith counted for righteousnesse for faith insted of our owne workes layes hold on the righteousnes of Christ and apprehending and comprehending it is counted for righteousnes not in a proper sense but as it comprehends Christ and his righteousnes which Calvin calles apprehending the goodnes of God and trusting in it And therefore it is truely affirmed by Iustine Martyr that Abraham obtained the testimony of righteousnes viz. that he was a righteous man not because of his circumcision but because of his faith which wordes imply That faith is not the righteousnes of the beleever but the evidence of his communion with Christ in his righteousnes and satisfaction The Testimony which he cites out of Musculus is expressely contrary to his interpretation for the wordes are Commendata esse debebat hac fides noÌ„ propriae qualitatis sed propositi Dei respectu that is This faith ought to be commended not in respect of the proper quality of it that is Not in a proper sense but in respect of the purpose of God wherby he hath appointed that to beleeve in Christ he wil impute it for righteousnes propter ipsum that is because of Christ himselfe in whom they beleeve By which wordes it is plaine that faith is not imputed in a proper sense to the beleever but in respect of Christ in whom he beleeveth and whose righteousnes he applies by faith The wordes which he cites out of Aretius are also strong for us against himselfe viz. That God imputed righteousnes to Abraham that is so accepted his faith that hereupon he counted him for a righteous man by imputative righteousnes which righteousnes cannot be any thing inherent as faith and our owne workes are but the righteousnes of Christ besides which there is no righteousnes to be found in all the world perfect and fit to iustify man before God Illyricus his wordes are as plaine against him as our hearts can wish viz. That begging faith apprehending the righteousnes of Christ is imputed to him in sted of his owne righteousnes where note that the reason why God doth impute faith for righteousnes is because it apprehends Christs righteousnes not because it of it selfe in a proper sense is fit to be counted righteousnes being but a poore begging hand and being inherent in the beleever which imputative righteousnes can in no wise be Thus in all his testimonies we have not one word to prove that faith taken in a proper sense is onely imputed for righteousnes and not the righteousnes of Christ But many Testimonies by him cited prove directly the contrary interpretation But because I will not have such a forger and false suborner of witnesses goe away without the brandes of forgery and notorious impudency I will bring in the best learned of the Ancients and also of late Orthodox Divines even those whom he cals to witnesse for him and make them speake in theâ—r owne wordes and testify to all the world That by faith imputed for righteousnes they understand not faith it selfe in a proper sense but the satisfaction and righteousnes of the Lord Iesus Christ God and man performed arcording to the Law in our nature and in our behalfe First Iustin Martyr testifieth that we being in our selves wicked and ungodly cannot possibly become righteous or be iustified but onely in the Sonne of God {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Now if onely in the Sonne of God and by union and communion with him which all have who are in him then onely by his righteousnesse For as the same Author in the same place saith It is his righteousnesse and nothing else which can cover our sin Justin Martyr Epist ad Diognetum And in his exposition of faith he saith That Christ as well by his exact conversation of life that is his perfect righteousnes as by his undeserved death hath abolished and covered our fall and fayling which came in by Adam Irenaeus is so strict for our communion with Christ in his obedience unto death and for our reconciliation and justification thereby that he imputes Christs obedience to us and saith In secundo Adamo reconciliati sumus obedientes usque ad mortem facti Lib. 4. adversus Haereses cap. 14. Athanasius in his 2 Tome Pag. 270. of Comelius edition saith That it is most necessary for us to beleeve Scriptures that Christ who hath freed us from the curse is the first fruites of the masse of mankind who are by him redeemed and that the perfect fulfilling of the Law by him the first fruites is imputed to the whole masse his wordes are in Greeke {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} And in his Booke of the Incarnation of the word of God he affirmeth that we shall live and be saved because we are partakers of the righteousnes without spot which Christ God in the flesh brought into the World Gregorie Nyssen Oration 2. in Cantic. Canticorum saith Christ having the filth or guilt of my sinnes transferred upon himselfe hath communicated his perfect purity to me and made me partaker of that beautie which is in himselfe Ambrose saith as Adam is the paterne of death because of sinne So is Christ the paterne of life because of his ousnesse Commentar. in cap. 7 Lucae Lib. 5. Chrysostom saith If a Iew aske thee how can all the world be saved by the righteous doings of one Christ Thou maist answere even so as all the world is condemned by one Adams disobedience cap. 5. ad Rom. Homil. 10. That is by the communion and imputation of them Cyrill saith Lib. 11. in Ioan. cap. 25. Christ being the author of the Law and yet subiecting himselfe to the Law by his obedience and righteousnes brings the blessing and life unto us And Lib. de recta fide he saith It is absurd to thinke that we should be made heires of the punishment of the first Adam by his disobedience and should not be made partakers of the righteousnesse of the second who doth bring us backe to life by his most perfect obedience Theodoret. Sermo 10. de curat Graec. affectionum saith It is very convenient that he who so highly praised righteousnes should in his comming in the flesh fulfill righteousnes for men Augustin Enchirid ad Laurentium cap. 41. saith he was made sinne that we might be made righteousnes not our owne but Gods righteousnes not in our selves but in him even as he was sinne not
Articles of Iustification saith that when we speake of iustifying faith it is to be knowne that these three obiects concurre which are to bee beleeved 1. the promise of the benefit that is mercy for remission or iustification 2. That the promise is most free which excludes our merits 3. The merits of Câ—râ—st which are the price and propitiation and a little after Faith doth not iustifie because it is a worke worthy by it selfe that is in a proper sense but onely because it receaves the mercy promised And again how shall Christ be our Mediatour if in iustification wee doe not use him for our Mediatour that is if we doe not feele that for him we are reputed righteous The Divines of the Augustin confession câ—ndemne Osiander who held that the righteousnes of faith was the essentiall righteousnes of God And also them who taught that Christ is our righteousnes onely according to his humane nature And in the Epitome of the Articles controverted by some they with one consent affirmed that the righteousnes of faith is remission of sinnes reconciliation to God and adoption to be Sonnes of God for the obedience of Christ only which by faith alone of meere grace is imputed to all believers Articulo 3. de fidei iustitia And this obedience of Christ which is imputed for righteousnes they affirme to be the obedience which hee performed both in his death and passion and also in his fulfilling of the Law for our sakes Ibid. Artic. 3. And concerning faith they teach that in iustification before God it trusteth neither in contrition nor love nor any other vertues but in Christ alone it is the onely meane and instrument which apprehends and receives the free grace of God the merit of Christ and remission of sinnes and it resteth on Christs most perfect obedience by which he fulfilled the Law for us which obedience is imputed to beleevers for righteousnes Ibid. Artic. 3. Calvin is so zealous and so cleere and manifest in teaching and maintaining the Doctrine of Justification by the communion and imputation of Christs perfect obedience satisfaction and righteousnes that among Christians Calvins Institutions me thinkes the very Father of lyers the Devill himselfe should if not blush and bee ashamed yet in policy be afraid to call Calvin for a witnesse against it least all that heare him should hate him and hisse him for his open lying The Doctrine of Calvin concerning iustification consists of these speciall Articles laid downe plainely Institut lib. 3. cap. 11. First hee affirmes in plaine wordes that Iustification consists in remission of sinnes and imputation of Christs righteousnes Sect. 2. Secondly he shewes what he meanes by remission of sinnes sometimes he takes remission of sinnes in a large sense for that act of God by which he doth communicate and impute the full satisfaction of Christ unto his Elect and faithfull that the whole guilt of all sinnes both of omission and coâ—…ission is taken away and they are no more accounted nor appeare in his sight as sinners In this sense he calls remission of sinnes totum iustificationis in his Comment on Rom. 4. and totâ—m iustificationem whole iustification Instit. lib. 3. ca 8. 4. For indeed when the sinnes of commission are taken away by that part of Christs satisfaction imputed which is called his passive obedience or voluntary suffering of the penalties of the Law and the sinnes of omission by his active obedience in fulfilling the righteousnes which the Law requires which is the other part of Christs imputed satisfaction so that the Elect are now reputed as righteous men who have the defect which came by Omission supplied and have no more the sinnes of Omission imputed to them this is perfect and whole iustification as he truely calls it But sometimes he useth the word remission of sinnes in a more strict sense for that part of Gods act of communicating and imputing of Christs satisfaction which respects the passive obedience of Christ which takes away the guilt of sinnes committed but doth not supply the omission of righteousnes and in this sense he makes remission of sinnes but a part of iustification and Gods imputing of the active part of Christs satisfaction and counting the faithfull righteous by it imputed hee makes the other part of iustification in the wordes before cited out of his Institutions lib. 3. cap. 11. Sect. 2. Thirdly he constantly teacheth and affirmeth that there is no righteousnesse by which a man can stand before Gods Tribunall and be accepted for righteous in his sight but onely the full satisfaction and perfect righteousnes of Christ which he the Sonne of God performed in the nature of man for that which is not intire and absolute and without all staine and spot such as never hath beene nor shall be found in any meere man can never be accepted of God but is with him sleighted and vilified beyond all measure and whosoever prates of any righteousnes in mens owne workes or doings they have no true thought nor the least sense of the iustice of God but make a mock of it Institut lib. 3. cap. 12. Sect. 1. and 3. and 11. 26. Fourthly he affirmeth that man is iustified by faith when he is excluded from the righteousnes of works by faith layeth hold on the righteousnes of Christ with which he being cloathed doth appeare in the sight of God not as a sinner but as a righteous man Instit. lib. 3. cap. 11. Sect. 1. And in the same chap. Sect. 11. He saith Haec est mirabilis iustificâ—…i ratio ut Christi iustitia tecti non exhorreant iudicium quo dignisunt dum seipsos merito damnant insti extra se censeantur Fiftly concerning the Office of faith in iustification he teacheth that faith being in it selfe weake and imperfect and of no dignity or worth price or value is never able to iustifie us by it selfe but by bringing Christ unto us who is given to us for righteousnes it is not our righteousnes but makes us come with the mouth of the soule opened that we may be capable of Christ and it is as a vessell or Pot for as the pot full of money enricheth a man so faith filled with Christ and his righteousnes is said to iustifie us and to be counted for righteousnes and therefore he saith that it is a foolish thing to mingle our faith which is onely the instrument of receiving righteousnes with Christ who is the materiall cause and both the Author and Minister of this great benefit chap. 11. Sect. 7. And in the 17. Sect. hee saith that faith is hereupon said to iustifie because it doth receive and embrace the righteousnes which is â—ffered in the Gospell Sixtly he affirmes that the righteousnes by which bâ—â—eevers are iustified and stand righteous before God is not in themselves but in Christ even his perfect obedience and righteousnes communicated to them by imputation Sect. 23. Lastly he
it was by adding some thing and substracting others that in consideration hereof it was thought requisite to print it in that very shape in which it came at first from betweene his hands for to this alone hath the Reply reference and to couple both it and the Reply in one volume I am consious of no other designe that the publisher propounded to himselfe but onely this to cleare the Reply and the Authour of it from those false and foule imputations of lying forging c and to wash off from the face of that truth they pleade for those blacke coullers of Socinianisme and Arminianisme which Mr. Walkers pencill hath drawne over it that appearing to the eye of the world out of his cloathing their innocency might bee acknowledged in the judgements and consciences of reasonable men The accomplishment of which designe will I dare say satisfyingly recompence his cost and labour and inlarge his heart towards the God of peace and truth who hath given successe to so just so pious so commendable an undertaking Farwell AN EPITOME OF Mr. Walkers Answer OR A speciall receipt by a moderne Divine against the Dangerous infection of an Orthodox Truth REcipe 21. folio's or leaves of papyrus as close written as may well be read Sosinus and Arminius well beaten together and strained through a course boulter of an English discourse A handfull of good Scriptures carelesly gathered and well steeped in the standing water of a new laid interpretation Add hereunto two or three Hebrew roots of reading a sufficient quantity of Learning about a third part Of the hearb called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in Engling lack-love 6 leaves at the least of blacke tongue-wort some fifteene slips of tropes and metonymies gathered where they never grew as many as you can come by of the drugg called diabolico-pseudo lobetico 12 ounces of the simple called insultory or assafetidea as much of the sweet and savory hearb discretion halfe a scruple Let all these bee made up into the body of a discourse and swallowed downe without chewing upon a full stomacke and take heede of drinking any sound interpetation after them and there is little feare that the truth will ever doe you any harme Probatum est Reader if thou had'st rather take a little paines then be angry I desire thee to releive the Printer with thy pen and to reforme thy Booke before thou readest it according to these subsequent directions In the Preface Page 9 line 5. for serapp r. scrap p 11 l. 1. for present r. pleasant l. 18. for {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} p. 12. l. 25. for passages r. pages p. 13. l. 13. for discrologie r. aischrologie l. 14. for messenger r. messengers l. 15. for magnificant r. magnificent In the discourse p. 6. l. 31. for corponeris r. còmponens p. 8. l. 29. for opinion any r. opinion that any p. 13. l. 13. for Divinity who r. 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Here l. 18. for word discourse r. wordie discoâ—se l. ult. for too r. to p. 22. l. ult. for misperisiar r misprision p. 26. l. 13. for our r. owne p. 29. l. 27. for no satisfaction r. no such satisfaction p. 32. l. 15. for this is r. is this p. 33. l. 27. for first r. fullest p. 34. l. 20. for saith further r. saith he further p. 37. l. 24. for skill r. still p. 40. l. 33. for promises r. premisses p. 43. l. 2. for justification r. or free justification p. 47. l. 9. for hihobular r. triobular p. 48. l. 19. for black in so r. so black and p. 55. l. 26. for neighbours r. neighbour p. 59. l. 33. for mee r. men p. 65. l. 25. for contradiction r. contradictions p. 70. l. 2. for belived r. beleeving p. l. 10. for not for r. not of us for p. 74. l. 2. for to speak r. to speak to p. 86. l. 12. for interpres r. interpretesse p. 95. l. 37. for censured r. conceived A DEFENCE OF THE TRVE SENCE AND MEANING of the words of the holy Apostle ROM. 4. v. 3. where it is said that Abraham beleeved GOD and it was counted to him for Righteousnes and v. 5. to him that beleeveth his Faith is counted for Righteousnesse and v. 9. for we say that Faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteousnes THE true sence and meaning of the holy Apostle in these speeches according to the common judgement of the most godly learned and judicious Divines of the best Reformed Churches is this That upon Abrahams beleeving the Promise of God that God would be his shield and exceeding great reward and that God would raise up out of his loynes the blessed Seed Christ the Redeemer in whom all the Elect and faithfull of all Nations being gathered unto God and by one Spirit Baptised and united together into one spirituall body with him their spirituall head and made lively and sensible partakers of his perfect obedience righteousnesse and full satisfaction for redemption remission of sins justification and perfect salvation should become Abrahams faithfull seed and partakers of the same reward and should wee more seeke the reward of blessednesse by the righteousnesse of their owne workes performed according to the tenour of the Law in every mans owne person but in the Lord Iesus Christ who is the Iehovah Zidkenu the Lord our righteousnes and God the lot and portion of every true beleever upon Abrahams beleeving of the promise and firmely without staggering applying to himselfe this blessing promised and upon his full perswasion that God who promised out of his free grace was by his power able to performe though he by course of Nature and by reason of the deadnesse of Sarahs wombe seemed and indeed was uncapable of that blessing God the Lord counted this to him for righteousnesse that is accepted and accounted him for a righteous man as indeed he was not for any workes of his owne or by any righteousnesse performed in his owne person according to the Law but by the righteousnesse of faith that is the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended and applyed by Faith for being thus justified by faith and having this Communion with Christ of his full satisfaction and righteousnesse God becomes in Christ our sheild and exceeding great reward The Corrupt exposition of the Apostles wordes by the Hereticke Socinus and his followers the Arminians and other fanaticall Sectaries THey all hold and obstinately affirme that Abrahams beleeving and his faith taken in a proper literall sense without any trope was counted to him for righteousnes instead of all righteousnes which either Abraham him selfe in his own person or any surety in his owne person or any surety in his behalfe could performe to the Law of God And upon these words thus wrested they build all their hereticall
sheweth how this righteousnes comes to bee the righteousnes of beleevers and to bee so communicated to them that God doth iustifie impute it to them for iustification and accept as if it were their owne viz. by meanes of their spirituall union and communion with Christ by which they are made partakers of Christ and with him and in him possesse all his riches Sect. 10. and 20. and 23. This is the sum of Câ—lvins Doctrine concerning iustification briefly comprized out of his owne words in places before cited where the Reader may be fully satified Beza in the doctrine of iustification by faith doth perfectly agree with Luther and Calvin in all the former Articles First he saith that faith is not any such vertue as doth iustifie us in our selves before God for that is to set up faith in the place of Christ who alone is our whole and perfect righteousnes but faith iustifies as it is the instrument which receiveth Christ and with him his righteousnes that is most full perfection and we say that we are iustified by faith onely because it embraceth Christ who doth iustifie us with whom it doth unite and couple us that we may be partakers of him and all his goods which being imputed to us are sufficient that wee may be absolved before God and deemed righteous Confess cap. 4. Sect. 7. in notis Rom. 3. 2â— 24. Secondly that faith sends to Christ for perfect righteousnes to iustification and that it assures us of salvation through his righteousnes alone because whatsoever is in Christ is imputed to us as if it were our owne if so bee we embrace him by faith and what the righteousnes of Christ is which is imputed to us he fully expresseth and describeth to be that greatest and most absolute perfection of righteousnes consisting in these two things 1. That he hath no sinne in him 2 That hee hath fulfilled all the righteousnes of the Law cap. 4. Sect. 58. in notis Rom. 3. 22. 26. and Rom 4. 5. in Phil. 3. 9. Rom. 5. 12. Thirdly he sheweth that we come to have communion with Christs righteousnes by spirituall union and mariage with Christ ff saith he we be united and joyned together into fellowship with Christ by faith nothing is more proper ours then Christ and whatsoever is Christs Confess 4. Sect. 9. Fourthly he pronounceth that it is no lesse then wicked blasphemy to deny the mutuall and reciprocall iâ—putations of the sinnes of true beleevers to Christ and of Christs righteousnes to true beleevers in his booke of iustification against Anonymus Fiftly he affirmes that righteousnes which iustifies men before God must be both a full satisfaction for sinne and also a perfect fulfilling of Gods Commandements in every part in Rom. 3. 20. Our learned Whitakers worke against Campion in his answere to the 8. reason page 38. and against Duraus lib. 8. page 176. 177. 182 183. doth stoutly and pâ—thily dispute and maintaine the Doctrine of iustification by the righteousnes of Christ imputed which he proves to be the onely perfect righteousnes able to iustifie us before God Master Perkins also in his golden Chaine called the order of the causes of salvation and dâ—…tion chap. 37. makes the translation of the beleevers sinnes to Christ and of Christs righteousnes to the beleever by a â—…uall and reciprocall imputation the forme of iustification Polanâ—… in Syâ—…ate theologiâ—o Lib. 6. Cap. 36. doth maintaine the same Doctrine with Luther Calvin Beza and Whitaker and proves every point fully by plaine testimonies and invincible Arguments out of the holy Scriptures In his Symphonia Catholica he brings testimonies of Ancients affirming every Article of our Doctrine And in his Theses de justifie he shewes the consent of Orthodox Divines of the reformed Churches And that Mâ—sculus Iunius and other latter Divines are grossely abused by him who brings their testimonies to overthrow the imputation of Christs righteousnesse will plainely appeare if any be pleased to reade Musculus upon Rom. 8. 34. and 16. 3. 4. where he expounds the Apostles wordes of the fulfilling of the righteousnes of of the Law in us to be meant First of all imputatively by the righteousnes of another even of Christ which is also â—â—rs For we are flesh of his flesh c. And by the righteousnes of God he understands Christs perfect righteousnes imputedâ—o us Also Iunius Thes. 35. and 36. doth affirme that the righteousnesse of faith imputed to beleevers is the righteousnes which the Law requires performed by Christ differing onely in this that Legall is every mans fulfilling of the Law in his owne person but this Evâ—ngelicall is the fulfilling of the Law by Christ God and â—an our surely and mediator Thus have I vindicated the Godly learned both â—â—cioâ—â— and modern Divines from the soule slander most falsely laid upon them by this impudent forger of false witnesses and by their owne manifest testimonies I have made manifest their unanimous consent in the true Doctrine of justification by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed to beleevers and of them apprehended and applied by faith Now I leave it to all indifferent Readers and zealous Christians to consider whether it be not their duty both to take heed to themselves and to admonish others that they have no fellowship with so openly profest Socinian Sectaries as this man and his followers are you see the Doctrine which they maintaine is wicked and blasphemous Heresie And after many admonitions given by divers grave and learned Divines and often publique confutations and censures passed in publique they still persist in their pestilent heresy are more mad to maintain and dispute it then before and when truth cannot helpe them they flee for helpe to the Father of lyers and make lyes their refuge and in forging lies they sinne being condemned of themselves even against their knowledge and conscience As the Apostle foretold concerning Hereticks Titus 3. 11. How wilfully against the knowne truth and his owne conscience this desperate man hath Proclaimed Luther Calvin Beza Musculus Iunius and others to be of his opinion I have sufficiently proved and if ever he did but looke into any of their writings his owne eyes would have taught him how opposit they are to his Heresie As for his rude impudent and unmannerly followers their owne lying and slanderous tongues proclaime their pedigree from the Father of liers Let this my answere by way of disputation and confutation be a witnesse to free from the false reports which they have dispersed even among divers who were eye and eare witnesses to the contrary viz. That Mr. Goodwin did confute and confound me of late when he came to performe the chalenge made by him or at least boldly undertaken upon the request of his Disciples who made and sent it to me and did so mightily convince me by the power of his Arguments that first he made me rage through anger and fury and after made both my Brother and me to yeeld and to confesse our former ignorance and errors and to embrace him as one sent from God to turne us from darknesse to light That 〈◊〉 promised and vowed to renounce my former Doctrine of justification if ever God would give me liberty and to Preach his Hereticall opinion that we besought him and all his Followers to joyne with us in thanksgiving to God for our Illumination by their Divine Doctor and in prayer for the Grace of perseverance in the light received These reports of us are in our eyes no other then if they had reported that truth was turned unto falshood and the Divell become the Father of truth From such Spirits the God of truth defend his Church and People and grant a free passage to his Gospel and to his faithfull Ministers a Doore of utterance that they may Preach among all men every where the unsearchable riches of Christ To that God of truth I consecrate my tongue and pen and do resolve with both to maintaine his truth by his assistance and grace so long as life breath and strength shall last and to him give all glory now and ever FINIS Romans 13. 7 8. Romans 2. 5 6. Vid Preface 2. 3. 4 1 2 3 4. Argu. Ans. 2. Arg. Ans. 3. Arg. Ans. 1. Arg. Ans. 2. Arg. 1. Ans. 2. Ans. 3. Arg. Ans. 4 Arg. Ans. 5 Arg. Ans. 6 Arg. Ans. 7 Arg. Ans. 8 Arg. A Arg. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.