Faith only is the condition 1st Because it works sanctification not that it is a part of it 2ly Because nothing else can answer the Covenant but Faith The Covenant is not a Commandment Do this and live but a Promise it runs all upon Promises I will give thee a Seed in that thou shalt be blessed c. The Covenant on God's part stands all in Promises Now you know it is faith that answers the Promise for the Promise is to be believed If the Covenant had stood in Commandments and Rules of the Law then it must have been answered by Works and Obedience and therefore it could not be by Obedience for that holds not proportion there is not agreement between them but since the Covenant consists of Promises that must needs be by Believing and not by Works 4ly It is of Faith that it might be of grace and not of Debt for if God should give a Law and Rules to men and promise them life upon it then when they had performed the work they would challenge it of debt No saith the Lord it is an inheritanee I do not use to deal with my Children as Men do with their Servants that I should give them work to do and when they have done I should give them Wages Lastly he saith Sermon 12. at the beg That Christ giveth first Remission of sins as a Priest wherein consists Justification next as a Prophet he gives Knowledge and then as a King he gives Guidance Peace and Victory over Spiritual Enemies Thus we see he opposeth Faith to Obedience to Commands and saith The Covenant is nothing but a Promise on God's part and that Faith must first look for Remission of sins from the Priesthood or Satisfaction of Christ and for other Benefits from his other Offices afterwards which is the Doctrin we defend and yet this must be meant onely implicitely as to a great part of Believers few having the knowledge and skill to make this distinct use of Christ's Offices Argument 3. The Scripture doth not only by the specifick denomination p. 19. but also by description and mentioning those very Acts include the believing in Christ as our Lord and Teacher c. in that Faith by which as a condition we are justified Ergò we are justified by believing in Christ as our Lord and Teacher Answ We deny the Antecedent Faith doth neither justifie as a condition nor doth the Scripture ascribe Justification to any other acts of Faith than trusting in the Promise of Life through Christ Let us consider the Proof Rom. 10.4 to 10. We are said to be justified 1st by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ v. 9. Therefore his Lordship is included in the object of Faith as justifying Answ Here is nothing but a designation of the person not a distinct intimation of his Kingly Office and yet Faith which justifyeth trusteth in Christ as Lord and King as was said before We must also believe that God raised him from the dead which was no part of his Priestly Office 2ly Answ Christ's Resurrection doth belong to his Priestly Office though it cannot be properly called a part of it For it was the complement or consummation of his Satisfaction and immediately necessary to his appearing in Heaven there to present his Satisfaction and to intercede for us as the High-priest after the Sacrifice of the Goat went into the Holy of Holies to sprinkle the Bloud before the Mercy-Seat and to pray for the People Besides to believe in Christ as rising from the dead is nothing else but believing in him as having made a compleat satisfaction which was evidenced by his Resurrection The same Answer will serve to what is pleaded from Rom. 4.24 25. only it is added here that we must believe in him that raised Christ from the dead Answ Ergò Faith respects not Christ only Faith immediately respects the Promise of Life by Christ as the formal object of or reason why it expecteth Salvation by Christ then it trusteth in God to justifie for Christ's sake and then in Christ as him that hath purchased Justification for us and will see it applied To believe in him that raised Christ from the dead is to trust in God to justifie us who hath testified his acceptance of Christ's Satisfaction for us by raising him from the dead What is this to Obedience 1 John 1.9 11 12. The Faith whereby we are adopted wherein Justification is included or presupposed respecteth Christ as the Light that enlightneth every Man Answ It believeth the promise of salvation preached by Christ and so trusteth in it what is this to a Promise of subjection to Christ's constant teaching as a Prophet 2ly It respecteth his Person it receiveth him and not one single benefit Answ Nor do we say that Justification giveth or justifying faith obtaineth but one single benefit it obtaineth reconciliation with God and right to life which either include or draw after them all saving benefits 3ly It is believing in his name that signifieth his Person and Offices and is all one with taking him for the Messiah and becoming his Disciples Answ To believe in God's name is the same that trusting in him They that know thy Name will trust in thee so to believe in Christ's Name was to trust in him as the Messiah or Saviour and this gives right to Adoption 4ly Faith doth not physically receive Christ by way of apprehension as I receive Gold in my hand whoever said it did but dispositively it qualifieth the subject in the sight of God and he giveth power thereupon to become his Sons Answ But how is this proved from the Text If it had been said power was given c. to them that receive him without any explication there might have been some colour for this plea but it is explained by believing on his Name i. e. trusting in him but trust is no proper legal qualification though it putteth the subject into an immediate natural capacity or disposition to receive the benefit and Moral also when the object is Moral Many other places are added where we are said to believe in the Son of God to hear his voice and believe that he was the promised Messiah c. which denote the whole Person of Christ Ergo. Justifying Faith respects immediately and directly all his Offices Did ever any Man contend that we are justified by believing in one part of Christ's Person or cannot we trust in the whole Person of Christ without respecting all his Offices distinctly primarily and immediately Do we divide the Essence of God or exclude his other Attributes absolutely when we do immediately respect his Wisdom alone or his Power or Goodness according to our present occasion at that time not distinctly making use of others and yet justifying Faith doth trust in Christ for the benefit of all his Offices Answ as before This proveth not that Obedience is joyned with it in justifying
Lutherus Redivivus OR The Protestant Doctrine of JUSTIFICATION By Christ's Righteousness Imputed to BELIEVERS Explained and Vindicated PART II. By John Troughton Minister of the Gospel sometimes Fellow of S. John's Coll. in Oxon. Augustin Epist 105. Ad Sixtum Presbyterum Romanum Nullane ergò sunt merita Justorum Sunt planè quia justi sunt sed ut justi fierent merita non fecerunt Justi enim facti sunt cum justificati sunt sed sicut dicit Apostolus Justificati gratis per gratiam ipsius LONDON Printed for Sam. Lee near Popes-Head-Alley in Lumbard-Street 1678. THE PREFACE TO THE READER Courteous Reader IN the former Part of this Work I endeavoured to open and refute the Novel Opinion of Justification upon condition of Obedience to the Gospel Which however plausibly worded and vented is in substance no other than the Old Popish Doctrine of Merits and Justification by Works And wherein it is refin'd from the old School-Notions it cometh but so much the nearer to Socinianism from whence the whole Platform of this Doctrine was taken and differs from it very little In this present Treatise my work is to explain and confirm the Protestant Doctrine of Justification by the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us by God and received by us by Faith which is denied by the Assertors of Conditional Justification They are indeed almost as loath the People should know that they deny us to be justified by the Merits or Righteousness of Christ as once Steph. Gardner was That the Doctrine of Justification by Free Grace should be preached to them And for the same Reason viz. The saving of their own Credit And hence they tell us That the Term of Imputation of Righteousness is still to be retained That Christ meriteth our Justification That he is our Legal or Pro-legal Righteousness c. They speak as like our Orthodox Divines as they can that it may not commonly appear wherein they differ Yet in all this they mean no more but that Christ by his Obedience or Death or both obtained a New Covenant for us i. e. the Evangelical Law which if we fulfill and continue in it to the end of our Lives we shall have our Sins pardoned shall be accepted and saved So that the Righteousness for which we shall be accepted and made Heirs of Eternal Life is our Obedience to the Gospel not the Obedience or Righteousness of Jesus Christ and with them the Imputing of Christ's Righteousness to us for Justification is our being justified by our own Obedience to the Gospel-Covenant which Christ procured by his Righteousness not our being justified or accepted to life for the Righteousness of Christ intended and performed immediately and only for us as all Protestants have hitherto taught except the Dutch Arminians and their Followers They do endeavour to obscure and perplex the Question what they can partly by the Rhetorical and sometimes Imprudent Expressions of Popular Preachers and Writers which ought rather to be interpreted and qualified than exagitated to the prejudice of Truth and partly by the Philosophical Notions and School-Terms accommodated to this Doctrine as well as others and too much transferred from the Schools of the Learned to the Pulpit and popular Congregations From both these they pick matters of quarrel against this received and fundamental Truth And always propose the Question in such terms that it may seem they dispute only against the Antinomians or some that have spoke too like them or else some Logical Notions and Formalities of School-Divines Amongst all that I have read with some care to know the true state of the Question and what the New Doctrine of those men is I have not met with one that doth fairly and ingenuously state the Question according to the Sence which they intend and dispute for But they always thrust in some terms lyable to exception which belong not to the substance of the Question it self e. g. They usually propound the Question thus Whether Christ's Righteousness be imputed to us so that we are accounted by God to have done and suffered all that Christ did and suffered for us whether we fulfill the Law in him and suffered the Penalty of it in him And then they infer from the Doctrine of Imputation in general what followeth only from their misrepresenting it That we satisfied for our selves obeyed and suffered for our selves were our own Mediatours and Saviours c. Which Consequences seem not only uncooth but absurd I and are readily received by the unlearned and precipitant Wits who had rather seem ingenious in finding fault with old received Doctrines than take pains to understand them throughly I have endeavoured to divest the Doctrine of Justification by Christ's Righteousness Imputed of the Additions both of School-Notions and popular Rhetorick and to present it in the plain Scriptural dress to prove it by plain Scripture and Arguments deduced thence in the three first Chapters and then to examine their Obâ—ections against it which when they are levelled against the Question as it is plainly stated are so inconsiderable that I cannot but wonder that Learned and Pious men should lay so great a stress upon them as to innovate and alter the Doctrine which all the Protestants have profest writ and died for this is done in the fourth Chapter In the fifth and sixth I examine the original and true meaning of the opposite Opinion and refute it In the rest of the Book I explain and defend the Instrumental Office of Faith in justifying us and answer the Objections against it The Question betwixt us is plainly this Whether God doth justifie Believing Sinners i. e. acquit them from Guilt and Punishment and give them a Right to Eternal Life for their own Obedience to the Gospel Or immediately for the Righteousness of Christ wrought for them and trusted in by them as it is declared in the Promises of the Gospel The former they affirm and we have disproved in the other Part The latter they deny and we affirm and â—â—ove viz. That God doth accept believing Sinners and gives them a certain grant of Eternal Life directly and immediately for the Obedience of Christ â—â—ought for them and proposed to them 〈◊〉 the Promises We say further As to impute Sin 〈◊〉 to account a man a Sinner and juâ—â—ciously to charge his Sin upon him to â—â—s Condemnation when a person hath â—â—thority to do it So to impute Righteousness is to account a man Righteous and judicially to discharge him â—â—om accusation and to grant him the â—â—ivileges and Benefits belonging to 〈◊〉 Righteous Man And therefore when righteousness is said to be imputed 〈◊〉 us without Works the meaning is â—â—at God accepteth us as Righteous â—schargeth us from all the Accusations 〈◊〉 the Law and grants us Right to all â—â—iritual Blessings without any respect 〈◊〉 our Obedience But immediately â—â—d properly for the Righteousness of â—â—rist wrought for us which is thereâ—â—re said to be imputed to us because
meer pardon if it must rest upon him to satisfie or to provide satisfaction for the Law But doth this hinder God's providing and bestowing on him the righteousness of his Son As a Bankrupt is capable of nothing but to have his debt freely forgiven him for ought that he can do towards satisfaction yet this hindreth not but his Friend may pay the Debt for him and so render him solvent in Law 'T is once more said Object Iustâ—â— Evang p. 35 36. If a Sinner be not made Righteous by pardon but may be counted a Sinner still then by the same reason when Christ his Righteousness is imputed that being not his own Obedience he may be counted a Sinner still and so be Righteous and a Sinner at the same time which implieth a loud Contradiction Answ It is no Contradiction being not eodem respectu not in the same respect or in the same sence A man is a Sinner in himself and righteous in Christ the Law pronounceth him a Sinner and sentenceth him to death but the Law-giver who is above the Law accepteth Christs fulfilling the Law for him and thus being admitted upon Christs account the Law it self must acknowledg him Righteous CHAP. II. The Imputation of Christ's Righteousness to Believers explained and proved HAving proved that to Justifie is to accept as Just or Righteous and likewise that our own Obedience is not cannot be the Righteousness wherein we must appear before God it remaineth that it must be the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us for and by which we must be justified and this is now to be proved But before we come to the Proof we shall briefly inquire What we mean by Christs Righteousness and what by the Imputation of it The Righteousness of Christ which we say is imputed to a Sinner for his Justification is that Righteousness which he fulfilled or wrought in conformity to the Law of God whereby the Law violated by us was fulfilled and satisfied for us and in our stead Rom. 10.4 Christ is the end of the Law for Righteousness to every one that believeth Therefore it is not the Righteousness of his Divine Person which is imputed to us for that is Infinite such as men are uncapable of and 't was never required from them Yet the Perfections of his God-head do add the meritorious Dignity to his Satisfaction Nor is it the connate habitual Righteousness of his Man-hood For this is presuppos'd to enable to the performance of the Law but not properly required by the Law yet the Law requireth the preservation and exercise of perfect inherent righteousness Adam was created perfect to make him capable of receiving a Law of perfect obedience therefore that Law supposed a Holy Nature and only required continuance in that perfection of Nature which he had received In like manner it was necessary that Christ should be born with a perfect holy Nature that he might undertake the fulfilling of the Law for us and the preserving and exercise of that Holiness once received was a part of his obedience to the Law but that Holiness as natural and habitual was antecedent to the obedience of the Law and therefore no prober part of it Christ's Righteousness then which is imputed to us is his Holy Life in obedience to the Law of God and his voluntary obediential suffering the Penalties of the Law unto death it self for us and in our stead By the latter he made satisfaction for our sins and breach of the Law and by the former he fulfill'd the Law in the proper and principal design of it and thereby purchased eternal life which was promised by the Law to them that fulfill it By obeying the substance of the Moral Law as given to Man-kind and suffering death the Penalty thereof he satisfied the Law and wrought Righteousness for men in general and by obeving the Jewish Law and suffering the penalties and that kind of death threatned and accursed particularly by â—t he wrought righteousness for the Jews Gal. 4.4 5. Now when we say This Righteousness of Christ is imputed to Believes reckoned or accounted theirs Rom. 4.3 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we do not mean that they are accounted to have done and suffered those Actions and Penalties which Christ was Author of and endured Christ and Believers are still distinct natural persons and so the actions and passions of one person cannot be reckoned properly the actions and passions of the other Nor do we teach by imputing Christs Righteousness to Believers that God looketh upon them as if they had done and suffered in their own persons what Christ did in his in any proper sence For Christ only is accounted the Author of his own Righteousness and though Believers be justified by it yet the honour of working that righteousness and of being the proper subject of its Inherence belongeth to Christ alone But by Imputation we mean that God accounteth the Righteousness of Christ to have been wrought by him for every one that believeth and doth justifie or accept them to life eternal for that very righteousness believed or trusted in according to the promise of the Gospel and so Christs Righteousness is reckoned theirs or reckoned to them put to their account as if it were theirs not efficienter but effectivè not as if they had wrought it but that they may have the full benefit of it and be justified by it as effectually as if they had obeyed the Law perfectly in their own persons This is that which our Divines mean by saying Christ righteousness is ours in law that Christ and Believer are one in Law viz. that the Law â—f God is as truly and sully satisfied for us by â—he righteousness of Christ as if we had fulfilled it our selves and that God being pleased â—o admit of the fulfilling of the Law by Christ â—or us the Law doth pronounce us righteous â—nd Heirs of life for that righteousness which Christ wrought in obedience to it In this â—ence also they say That the very formal righteousness of Christ is a Believers righteousness or imputed to him viz. not that a Believer is reckoned to have wrought that righteousness as an efficient cause of it nor that Christs righteousness is transfused into him implanted in him as the subject of inherence â—ut that the very righteousness which Christ wrought was intended and wrought for him by the Son and is accepted for him by the Father that he is justified for it and intituled to life eternal Christ is the efficient the subject of Inherence of his own active passive obedience but the immediate benefit of it as satisfactory to the Law is a Believers and he is the subject of it a subject of external denomination he is denominated righteous from that righteousness wrought for him and accepted in his behalf Thus it is not forma inhaerens but denominans not an internal but an external Form When a Debtor is discharged his Surety paying the Debt
the Debtor cannot properly be said to be the Author of the payment he paid not the Money 't was not his but the Sureties yet the Money being paid for him in his stead for his benefit by the Surety and accepted for him instead of his payment by the Creditor he is a subject of denomination and may be truly accounted a clear and solvent person and the payment imputed to him placed to his account as really and as fully as if he had paid it with his own hand and with his own money Hence some call the Righteousness of Christ the Formal Cause of our Justification Vid. Whitaker de Ecclesia p. 460 461. Synop. Leidens disput 33. Th. 21 23. and others the Matter or Material Cause both mean the same thing viz. That Christs righteousness is the very thing for which we are accepted and justified before God I will not contend about terms of Art in so great a point whereon Salvation depends yet it seemeth more logical to say In Justification man in the Matter or Subject viz. the Person justified Christs righteousness is the Form that by which he is constituted righteous or just before God Imputation Gods accepting this righteousness for him is as the Union betwixt the Matter and the Form even the Application of Christs righteousness to the person justified God the Father is the Efficient accepting or acquitting him for the sake of Christs righteousness The Promise of the Gospel is the medium whereby this righteousness is conveyed and Faith the instrument or disposition in the subject whereby it is rendred capable of receiving Christs righteousness or having it imputed to him And Justification is the Condition or State of a Man accepted with God to life eternal through the righteousness of Christ imputed to him From â—â—ence I inser that Imputation of Christs righteousness and Justification is all one and but â—â—e real Act and so Arctius defines it Justiâ—atio est imputatio justitiae alienae gratuita Lib. Probl. loc 25. faâ—â—a a Deo respectu meriti Filii Dei ad salutem â—â—ni credenti Some learned men make Justication to consist of 2 Acts. The First whereby Christs righteousness is imputed to a Sinâ—er The Second whereby his sins are forgiven and he accepted for the sake of that righteousness But this makes it more perplext that it is to impute righteousness We are righteous with the righteousness of Christ â—â—t in a Physical sence as if it were inherent or adherent to us but judicially We are accepted as righteous i. e. discharged from punishment and intituled to life for it and this 〈◊〉 to be justified We may indeed make it Formal Acts or formally distinct the one thereby Christs righteousness is placed to our account or reckoned to be done for us the â—ther whereby we are accepted or intituled 〈◊〉 life for that righteousness But it 's really â—â—e same thing to account Christs righteousâ—â— be wrought for us to satisfie and fulfill the â—aw of God and to accept us and give us â—ight to life for that righteousness God in â—s Promise proposeth life to Sinners on the account of Christs satisfaction in which when â—â—ey believe and trust there is by virtue of that Promise a Grant and Title to life made other to them and hereby righteousness is imputed to them or they are justified Thus Rom. 4 2. When the Apostle would prove Abraham was not justified by Works he saith v. 3. Faith was imputed to him for Righteousness Then to justifie or impute Christs righteousness is all one and God accounteth us righteous for this righteousness i. e. God justifieth or giveth us eternal life for Christs righteousness and frees us from condemnation Nor is Christ first given to us and then his right ousness as some speak as if we were actually interessed in Christs Person before we are his righteousness God worketh Faith in the Heart which apprehendeth the promise of liâ—â— through the righteousness of Christ and hereby we are accepted and justified and this righteousness is thus made ours or given to us and no other way Afterwards we are adopted and receive the Spirit of Sons by which Spirit we are united to Christ as to our Hear and the Fountain of Spiritual Life and the Christ is most properly given to us or wâ—â— are actually interessed in his person in whom all the Elect have some interest before on the account of Election but this was not actual and proper These things thus explained the Question betwixt us and our Opposites is plainly thâ—â— Whether God justifieth men and intituled them Life for the Righteousness which Christ wrought in fulfilling and suffering the Penalties of the Law The Affirmative is the Protestant Doctrine and now to be proved Argument 1. 1. I argue from the Parallel of Christ and Adam Christ is called the Second Adam the Second Man 1 Cor. 15.45 47. Adam was the Figure of him who was to come viz. Christ Rom. 5.14 Whence is this but in respect of the general Influence of what they did upon the rest of Markind Hence I argue As Adam's Disobedience condemned men so Christ's Obedience acquitteth and justifieth them But the very Acts of Adam's Disobedience are imputed to men to their Condemnation they are condemned for them therefore they that believe have the very righteousness of Christ imputed to them and by that are justified The Major is largely proved by the Apostle Rom. 5.12 ad finem where he sheweth That Justification and Life come into the World in like manner as Death and Condemnation did each by a common Person and by them derived upon the rest of Mankind As many were made Sinners 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by one Mans Obedience so by the Obedience of one many shall be made righteous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 v. 19. They are constituted righteous and unrighteous in the same manner unrighteous by Adams disobedience righteous by the obedience of Christ But this I suppose will not be denied and he that denieth the Minor viz. That Adams disobedience is imputed to us as the immediate Cause of our Condemnation is a down right Pelagian But because iâ— this Age all the Foundations are destroyed we shall prove it from the fore-cited Text Rom. 5.12 where the Apostle affirms That by one man Sin and death entred into the World and Death passed upon all men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whether we translate it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iâ— whom all have sinned as the the Fathers did against the Palagians meaning Adam 〈◊〉 whom all his Posterity sinned or in quantum for as much as all men have sinned the Sence is all one Sin and Death came upon all men from one man i. e. Adam and therefore they were all made Sinners in him and by him But this is clearer v. 15. where it is said Many are dead by the Offence of this one man viz. Adam And v. 26. The Judgment or Sentence unto Condemnation came by one man 〈◊〉
if that be imputed then Christs Righteousness is imputed also to them that believe Moreover if Adams Sin be not imputed to us then are we not guilty of the breach of the First Covenant â—en we were never obliged to yield perfect obedience nor is the want of it properly a â—â— in us and so men are born in such a forworn and lost state as the Scripture prescribes â—â—em to be The reason of the consequence is â—e were never under the first Covenant in â—r own persons it was made with Adam â—t with us and if his breach of it be not impted to us it must follow that the Covenant is intended for him only not for his Posteriâ—â— his Obedience should not have profited them to Justification as well as his Disobedience not hurt them to condemnation and â—â—s the Covenant of Works is wholly made and by Adams Fall nor was it ever renewed a Covenant of Life Moreover Mr. Baxter's Preface to the Treat of the 2 Covenants p. 2 3. our Opposites teach that the Covenant of Grace was â—â—de with all Mankind immediately after 〈◊〉 Fall they had all new Terms of Life given â—â—m in Christ If then Adams Sin be not imâ—â—ed to his Posterity they have indeed lost â—â—se blessed Priviledges which Adam sinned â—â—ay and so could not convey to them but â—â—y were not at all oblig'd to the Covenant of â—â—fect obedience but were all immediately in under the Covenant of Grace and are â—â—y to answer for their neglect of and disobedience to that Thus much for the first argument from the Imputation of Adam's Argument 2. Christ was made subject to Bradshaw de Just c. 18. and fulfilled the Law to which Man was subject and the which Man had broken Ergò his Obedience of Righteousness is imputed to us For he was not made subject to that Law for his own saâ—â— but for ours nor did he fulfill it for himself but for us he fulfilled it not simply as a general Law of Obedience but as the Law give to Man and broken by him therefore what he did in this case was done in Mans stead aâ—â— to be imputed to him for his Righteousness that the Curse of the Law might be remove and the Blessing of the Law might descend up on Mankind Sermon of the Salvation of Mankind Vid. Homilies of the Church of England Christ is the Righteousness of all them that 〈◊〉 truely believe in him He for them paid the Ransom by his Death He for them fulfilled 〈◊〉 Law in his Life So that now in him and 〈◊〉 him every true Christian Man may be called Fulfiller of the Law forasmuch as that which their Infirmities lacked Christs Justice has supplied But this consequence will not 〈◊〉 denied it is the Antecedent that must be proved viz. That Christ fulfill'd the Law whâ—â— was given to and broken by Man and that was made Subject to that Law For to avâ—â— this Argument our Authors have devised new Notion That Christ fulfilled not the Law as given to Man knowing that then his Righteousness must be imputed to Man but the teach that Christ fulfilled only a particular Law given to himself which they call the Law of a Mediator which consisteth so much of the Law given to Mankind in general and of so much of the Jewish Law as the Father thought fit to appoint him to perform and also of some particular precepts peculiar to Christ alone wherein Men were not concern'd which Law if Christ would fulfill Men should have a New Covenant of Life given them But they could not be justified by his fulfilling this Law because it contained not all things to which they were obliged and moreover did contain some things peculiar to Christ in which Men were not concerned It must therefore be proved That Christ was oblig'd to and did fulfill the Law of perfect Obedience given to Men and the Jewish Law which concerned that Nation It is sometimes said by our Opposites That Christ is our Legal Righteousness that Righteousness which the Law of Works required of us If so then he must have fulfill'd and satisfied that Law but this hath been touched before I argue therefore Christ was subject to the Law of Mankind else he needed not to have been Man The only reason why Christ was made Man is that the same Nature that sinned might also satisfie for Sin it must therefore be by fulfilling that Law which concerned Humane Nature For if any other way of satisfaction might be admitted why might it not be accepted from a Person of another Nature that was not Man If there was no necessity that the Law broken by Man should be fulfilled but that it was sufficient that something should be done to repair God's Honour some other way though his Law was not properly satisfied Why might it not have been enough if Christ as God only without assuming any created Nature would have undertaken to conquer the Devils to bring all Mankind to Repentance to accept once of Pardon and to restore them to perfect Obedience again This would have repaired the Honour of God and of the Law as much or more than the procuring a New Covenant of Salvation for Sinners which for any thing Christ did merit might have never took effect in any Why might not this have served without his taking Mans Nature upon him Moreover the Angels are obliged by the same general Law of Love to God and their Fellow creatures that Men are though the particular Wages of exercising it be different If then it were enough that Christ fulfill'd some Generals of the Law without being obliged to all the Particulars that concerned Men why might it not have sufficed him to have taken the Nature of Angels and not to have come down into this miserable World for in that he might have performed the Law of a Mediator However à fortiori he needed not to have been the Son of Adam born of a Woman and in the same condition with other men or to have taken upon him the Form of a Servant Phil. 2.7 He might have been immediately created as Adam was and not have derived his Nature from him if it were not that he must be subject to the same Law which Adam had broken It is said Gal. 4.4 That God sent forth his Son made of a Woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the Adoption of Sons If Christ could not redeem the Jews without being born a Jew subject to their Law then neither could he redeem the Sons of Adam in general without being himself the Son of Adam subject to the same Law that he was I argue also from the Nature of the Law The End of the Law was Obedience and for failure that the Penalty of it should be suffered and this was the absolute establisht Decree or Sanction of God It must therefore be fulfilled by some one it was not done by Men therefore
to be called by the same Name This is the Name whereby she shall be called The Lord our Righteousness Answ But the Context sheweth that it speaketh of the same Person and almost in the same words sc the righteous Branch of David c. And therefore learned men translate it This is the name of him who shall call her viz. The Church The Lord our Righteousness So Junius translates it also the Geneva and the Dutch Annotions and others but if it be meant of the hurch as Mr. Gataker contends it must Gataker in locum it only because the Name of Christ is put upon or as being clothed with his Righteousness the New Jerusalem the Gospel Church named Jehovah Shammah the Lord is there â—â—om his Presence in her and as God himself pleased to take upon himself the Name of â—â—s People Ps 24.6 Ezek. 48.35 This is the Generation 〈◊〉 them that seek thy Face O Jacob i. e. the â—â—â—d of Jacob. Dan. 9.24 Seventy weeks are determined â—â—on thy People and upon thy Holy City to finish the Transgression and to make an end of â—â—ins and to make reconciliation for Iniquity and 〈◊〉 bring in Everlasting Righteousness Daniel â—â—d prayed for the deliverance of the Jews â—â—d the forgiveness of their Sins and that not â—â—r the sake of their own Righteousness but â—â—ods great Mercy v. 18 19. He is answerâ—â—d that the City shall be built again and the â—eople saved by the Messiah v. 25. and that 〈◊〉 his being cut off not for himself v. 26. â—â—plying that it should be for them and that â—â—en should be brought in everlasting Righteousness whereby Israel should be justified and â—â—ved This is the Righteousness of the Mesâ—â—ah for none else is a standing and everlasting â—ighteousness Ours is mutable and subject 〈◊〉 fail Hos 6.4 Neither was our righteousness in special manner to be brought in by â—â—e Death of Christ it had been before in the Sanctified in all Ages of the Church It was a new Righteousness then to be wrought and brought in at the Death of Christ though by the Virtue of it the former Saints were saved yet it was not actually wrought and Justification by it distinctly declared till now Therefore it is all one with finishing transgression making an end of sin making reconciliation for the people which is plainly Justification to be had by this Everlasting Righteousness Rom. 5.18 19. As by the offence of one Judgment came upon all men to condemnation even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life All men were condemned by the offence or sin of Adam So they that believe shall be justified by the righteousness of Christ the free gift oâ— grant of life comes by the righteousness of Jesus Christ as the sentence of death came by Adams unrighteousness The 19 v. makes it clearer As by the disobedience of one many are made sinners so by the obedience of one many shall be made righteous Adam did not make way by his Sin for mens condemnation he did not only render them liable to death if they should sin as he did and break the same Covenant But he brought them under the Curse and Sentence of death absolutely by and for his Sin so that all that are of his Seed are under the Judgement of Condemnation ipso facto as soon as they have a Being In like manner Christ must not only make way for mens Justification or procure them a Covenant whereby they shall be justified if they perform it as he performed the Covenant of a Mediator but he must also justifie them intitle them to life so soon as they believe in him by and for his own Righteousness and Obedience One Exception against this place hath been answered in the former Chapter Another excepteth Object The Apostle doth not say IN one mans obedience many shall be made righteous Just Evang p. 72. but BY one mans obedience as a consequent and effect of it many shall be made righteous As the effect of one mans disobedience many come to be shapen in iniquity and brought forth in a sinful condemned nature so as the effect of one mans obedience many come to be new born and brought forth in a Righteous and Saving State Answ The vanity of the exception from the word BY hath been manifested before The Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here used signifieth BY or WITH which is the proper sence of the place the term IN would be more obscure And thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is translated Rom. 14.20 To him that eateth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with offence but the Sum of this Exception is as it is largely prosecuted p. 68. c. That Adams personal disobedience is not imputed to his Posterity but he virtually containing all men in his Nature and Sinning before the Act of Propagation he did corrupt his Nature and so begat Children in a sinful mortal State But I have before proved the Imputation of his Actual Sin I now add Do Mankind derive a sinful mortal Nature from Adam by meer necessity of Nature seeing the effect must be like the cause or by virtue of Divine Constitution that his Posterity should inherit the Fruits of his Sin If by necessity of Nature as this Author seems to intimate then the Soul of Man must be ex traduce derived from the Parents else it could not be born sinful by necessity of Nature and then it must be corrupted with the Body and cannot exist without it and at best must be raised with the Body and sleep in the dust till the last day as the Socinians teach Nor would the want of original righteousness no nor positive dispositions to sin in our Nature as derived from Adam be sinful in us they be poena causa peocati the Punishment of Adams Sin and the cause of Sin in us but not peccatum our Sin no more than the natural Diseases of the Body which we derive from our Parents For that which comes by meer natural necessity cannot be a Sin But if it be by Divine Constitution then the meaning must be either that God appointed that if Adam should sin that one Sin then not only he should perish but that he should also propagate a sinful mortal Nature to all his Seed without exception and then the sin and misery of all Mankind is directly and properly the punishment of Adams personal sin only which besides the horrour of the thing that so many millions in all Ages should be made miserable both here and for ever as the punishment of another mans Sin in which they were no way concern'd is also against Gods own Law The Children shall not be put to death for the Fathers nor the Fathers for the Children but â—very man for his own sin Deut. 24.16 Or â—lse this Constitution must mean that God appointed that Adam shall stand or fall for all his â—osterity and then
to his Righteousness being imputed to us The Learned may find every one â—â— these Objections against the Imputation 〈◊〉 Christ's Righteousness with some others â—â— the like kind urged to the same purpose by Bellarmin and answered by B. Davenant for substance as we do de Justi Cap. 24. and B. Downam in many Chapters of his Learned Discourse of Justification Object It is further objected Our own works anâ— said to be accounted to us for Righteousness as that Act of Phincas in slaying Zimri anâ— Cozby Numb 25.7 Psal 106.30 31. And restoring the poor Man's Pledge Deut. 24.13 It shall be righteousness to thee before the Lord And the keeping of all God's Commandments Deut. 6.25 It shall be our Righteousness if 〈◊〉 observe all these Commandments before the Lord Therefore Christ's Righteousness is not immediately imputed to us for our Justification Answ When our own works are said to be ouâ— Righteousness or accounted for Righteousness it is only meant that God doth accept then and reward them Thus he promised Phines the Priest-hood for ever which was yet revoked for the sins of Elies Sons 1 Sam. 2.30 c. And the Reason subjoyned sheweth hoâ— this Righteousness was accounted viz. Thâ—â— that honour me I will honour and those that aâ—â— spise me shall be lightly esteemed It was accounted for Righteousness i. e. honoured and rewarded Thus mercy to the Poor shall be our righteousness before God i.e. he is pleased with it and will reward it with like kindness when we need it Psal 41.1 And our keeping all the Commandments shall be our Righteousness shall be accepted and rewarded as the obedience of Children But all this proveth not that we shall be made the Children of God have our sins forgiven and be intituled to Grace and life for our own obedience We acknowledge obedience to Gods Commands is our Righteousness whereby we are morally and inherently righteous i.e. conformable to God's Law and Will and this while imperfect is our inchoate or imperfect Righteousness and when it shall be consummate it will be our perfect and compleat righteousness as B. Davenant saith well against the Papists Calumnies de Just cap. 22. But the Righteousness for which we are pardoned accepted and made Heirs of Life must be every way a perfect and compleat righteousness even the righteousness of Christ as the same Author saith Apertè affirmamus Deum justissimum neminem justificare h.e. cap. 22. p. 311. ut exposuimus à reatu absolvere justum declarare ad vitam aeternam quae est justitiae praemium acceptare nisi interveniente vera perfecta justitia quae etiam verè fiat ipsius justitia And again Dicimus neminemjustificari nisi qui donetur justitia tam cumulatâ tamque perfectâ Ibid. ut Deus in illum oculos conjiciens non possit eadem donatum pro jnsto non habere It is pleaded that Faith is imputed for Righteousness in the same manner that other Works are and so justifieth but as they do and is our Righteousness as they are and thus they interpret Gen. 15.6 Abraham's Faith was accounted for Righteousness i.e. it was reckoned a noble and excellent Act of Faith with which God was well pleased and would reward it Answ 1. Faith in the Promise of Pardon and Life of meer Grace and Free Gift cannot be counted any part of our Righteousness To trust in the general in the Goodness Power and Promises of God is required by the Moral Law and is a Natural or Moral Duty and so a part of our universal Righteousness or Conformity to that Law But to trust in the Promise of Forgiveness and Mercy which only is the Faith in question is not required by the Moral Law but supposeth us Breakers of it and to be under its Condemnation it only seeks for Mercy proposed in a new supervening Promise and therefore is not our Righteousness as Works are The Apostle taketh occasion from a notable Instance of Abraham's Faith in a particular case 2ly and its obtaining the Promise of Great Blessings to argue That Faith in the general Mercy of God in Christ doth obtain Justification Rom. 4.2 3. and that with the exclusion of all works v. 5. To him that worketh not but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly Faith is imputed for Righteousness and this Justification is explained by having sins forgiven covered not imputed v. 6 7. Faith therfore is imputed for righteousness only as it doth obtain the forgiveness of sin the acceptance of them that have no works that are ungodly in themselves and this must be by the Righteousness of Christ not by its self being our righteousness Object It is also said If we are justified immediately by the Righteousness of Christ imputed then there is nothing for us to do to obtain Justification we must only believe we are justified and we are justified Answ There is nothing for us to do to purchase Justification this is done by Christ But we must apply this purchase to our selves by believing or trusting in it flying to it for Justification When a Ransom is paid for a Captive there is nothing left for him to do to purchase his liberty yet he must accept and challenge the Fruit of this Purchase to himself before he can enjoy it Though Adam hath procured and intituled to death upon all his Posterity yet that Curse reacheth not us till we receive a Being from and do habitually consent to his Sin In like manner Christ purchased life for all the Elect yet they do not partake of it till they are ingrafted into him and we do at least habitually consent and trust to be saved by him Object Lastly it is argued If Christs Righteousness be properly imputed then we should perfectly be delivered from all sin and misery and immediately brought to Heaven Answ Justification it self obtaineth remission of all sins and an immutable right to life or the Favour of God and an actual entrance into that Favour this every justified person doth obtain upon believing 1 Joh. 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life Rom. 8.1 Justification hath its proper effect in this life viz. it taketh away sin and the Curse or Obligation to Punishment it reconcileth to God and brings us into that Favour which will endure for ever but God having redeemed us by his Son intendeth not only to justifie us from our sins and give us the Life promised by the Law but also to make us his Children to give us glory in Heaven to make us Partakers of his Sons Glory and Kingdom And for this it pleases him to breed us to nurture and sit us for it by conflicting with sin by overcoming the World and the Devil that the Glory of his Son and Grace may appear the more Therefore the imperfect troublesome state of Believers in this life is not because their Justification is not perfect but because God hath a further design
Opinions were the Pelagians and Arminians and that herein the Socinians differ little from them Let us now inquire seeing we must not be justified by the very Righteousness of Christ's Obedience and Death to what End Christ died according to those men CHAP. VI. This Doctrine overthroweth Christ's Merit and Satisfaction THE Apostle Rom. 4.25 saith That Christ was delivered i. e. to death for our Offences and raised again for our Justification Whence our Protestants have taught that the proper and immediate Effect of the Death of Christ was the procuring or grant of Pardon Justification Life Eternal to all the Elect in the Purposes of God and that accordingly God in due time publisheth to them the Promises of the Gospel by which through the effectual operation of the Holy Ghost they are perswaded and drawn to Christ to believe and trust in him for Life and so they are made actual partakers of his Death and justified But these Authors denying us to be justified immediately and properly by the Righteousness of Christ must and do deny Justification to be the immediate and proper Effect of it and assign some other immediate End of Christ's Death What this is we shall shew and how it doth make void the Merit and Satisfaction of Christ I meet with two Opinions in this matter The First saith That the immediate and proper End of the Death of Christ was not to procure Reconciliation Justification c. for all or any man but to render God placable or reconcileable to man i. e. not that God upon the Death of Christ doth grant purpose or covenant the Justification and salvation of any man but that he may now justifie forgive and save men in what way and upon what terms he pleaseth Thus Mr. Trueman as before Gr. Prop. p. 86. The immediate Effect of Christ's Satisfaction is that God might be Just though he should pardon Sinners that he might pardon salvâ justitiâ not that he must pardon them come what will of it or be unjust And again The Justice of God as a flaming Sword obstructeth all treating with us upon any terms of Reconciliation whatsoever and this would have been an eternal Bar to all Influences and Effluxes of Favour and now this Justice being satisfied and this Bar and Obstacle removed Divine Grace and Benignity is left at liberty freely to act how it pleases and in what way and upon what terms and conditions it thinketh meet This he had from Arminius who having said That Justification Pardon or Reconciliation of any man is not immediately purchased by the Death of Christ He tells us The proper Effect of it is Reconciliatio Dei remissionis justificationis redemptionis apud Peum impetratio contra Perkins fol. 76. apud Twiss qua factum est ut Deus jam possit utpote justitiâ cui satisfactum est non obstante hominibus peccatoribus peccata remittere spiritum gratiae largiri i. e. the Reconciliation of God the obtaining of remission and redemption viz. That God may forgive and sanctifie men if he please without breach of Justice which is now satisfied Hereupon they go so far as to tell us That when Christ had done and suffered all which was appointed him God was free to save or not to save men or to save upon what terms or whom he pleased Thus Grevinch contra Ames fol. 8. Peltius p. 126. Postquam impetratio praestita ac peracta esset Deo jus suum integrum mansit pro arbitratu suo eam applicare vel non applicare nec applicatio finis impetrationis propria fuit sed jus potestas applicandi pro liberrimo suo placito quibus qualibus vellet i. e. After Christ's Purchase was made and finished God was perfectly free to apply â—t or not to apply it as he should please nor was the Application of it the proper End of Christ's Purchase but that God might have power to apply it to whom and how he should think fit Episcopius goes a step further and saith There could not be a deliberate purpose in God of saving men and opening a way of â—ise to them till Christ was sacrificed Disp 5. Ibid. Deliâ—eratum mortale salvandi salutisque ostium apetiendi propositum in Deo esse requirit priusquam sacrificium oblatum esset Now if this be the only proper Effect of the Obedience and Death of Christ that God who was before bound to condemn Sinners by the Law of Works violated by them might now think of a way to save them if he pleased and withal might chuse whether he would save them or propound terms of Life to them or not It followeth â—ence 1. That the Obedience of Christ was not meritorious nor did merit any thing of the father It is true there was an intrinsecal infinite value in Christ's Obedience by reason of the Divine Excellency of his Person and so there was an equality or proportion betwixt his Obedience and the Happiness which was to be procured for men But this is the Foundation of Merit not Actual Merit To merit is to deserve a Reward to do something whereupon a Reward is due so that Merit in its proper notion doth imply an actual Right or Obligation to a reward which Obligation ariseth from some Law Promise or Compact betwixt the Parties and he which doth not give that Reward according to Merit offendeth against some Law either of strict Justice or at least of Gratitude Generosity Kindness c. If then God was not bound by Covenant Promise or so much as deliberate Purpose to save men or to give them any terms of Life for all that Christ did or suffered then his Obedience merited nothing there was nothing due no reward proposed to him which he would challenge for God was still free to do what he pleased with men God they say would not have been unjust if he had not saved men though Christ died he was not then bound by the Law of Justice and he could not be bound by any other Law to remunerate the Death and Sufferings of his Son with such an happy Effect as man's Salvation Christ's Death say they was a refuseable payment for sin even when it was presented to the Father God might then have refused it and yet have been Just But it would not have been just to have denyed Jesus Christ that which he merited that would be due debt to him They say indeed Christ was the meritorious cause of our Justification But what did he merit Justification Then God was not free to deny it he must justifie those for whom Christ merited Justification or be unjust unless there can be a cause without an effect or causality The effect of merit is some reward deserved given for the sake of the merit the causality of merit is some compact Law or Promise whereby one is bound to reward that merit If then God was bound to nothing upon the Obedience of Christ but still had jus
of Christ a ransome satisfaction or propitiation A ransome respecteth persons to be redeemed it is a price given for them not for Laws and Covenants Whoever paid a ransome without agreeing to whom it should extend and that it should take certain effect whereas here is nothing purchased but a Covenant or Promise that all those that believe and obey the Gospel should be saved which perhaps might be none nor was it agreed how long the World should stand and so what number of Men should be made or should need or be capable of this Redemption A satisfaction to God in this case is a satisfaction to his Law whereby the Sinner must immediately be discharged A Propitiation is a Sacrifice appeasing and reconciling God to Man neither of which it done if only a Promise be procured to save Men upon their fulfilling the conditions of a New Law 3ly If Christ only purchased a Covenant of life then his Redemption is much more in-effectual to fave than Adam's Fall was to destroy Man The Apostle Rom. 5.17 18 20. comparing the Death of Christ with Adam's Fall saith As Sin reigned to death so Grace much more reigneth to life as Sin abounded to condemnation Grace much more aboundeth to justification and life but where is this much more the Obedience of Christ falls far short of Adam's Disobedience in its effects if he only purchased conditions of life Adam in a few moments by one transgression procured a sentence of certain death upon every individual person that should naturally descend from him as soon as they should have a Being but Jesus Christ by his transcendent Obedience of thirty four years by induring the Wrath of God the rage of Men and Devils and a most ignominious death purchased life for no one certain Man but only conditions whereupon they that should hear of them not half Mankind should be saved if they did fulfil them which for any thing he purchased or was contained in the Covenant of life was a meer contingency viz. whether any should ever believe and be saved or not 4ly If Christ only purchased a Covenant of life then he purchased no more for the Elect than for others no more for the Sheep than the goats and they that go to Heaven may hereafter say Christ redeemed them no more than he did those in Hell the difference betwixt them proceeded from their applying and performing the Covenant and its conditions which others neglected For the Covenant is equal to all that hear it promising life upon conditions only which every one is equally concerned in alike capable of Salvation and one no more likely to perform the conditions than another The Arminians grant this that Christ died for all alike Syn. Dordr Ibid. Th. 2. Heterodox Christi mortem impetrasse omnibus hominibus restitutionem in statum gratiae salutis 5ly It follows also That for any efficacy there was in the death of Christ there must have been no man saved For the Covenant of Grace which only he purchased would have been as true and as firm a Covenant viz. That they should be saved who would believe and obey the Gospel though no man had fulfilled it and so been saved by it as the Covenant of Works was which according to them was never fulfilled nor ever gave life to any The Covenant required no more then that God should be ready faithfully to give eternal life ro all that fulfilled it and all that Christ purchased was a Promise that he would so be which would have been true though all men had perished by their unbelief and so Christ might have had the empty Title of a Redeemer without any person being redeemed by him And this Arminius Gravirch and others are not ashamed to confess Arnoldus contra Molin Omnino credo futurum fuisse ut finis mortis Christi constaret etiamsi nemo credidisset Some of ours fay That God had his Elect whom he purposed to bring to Christ and save by him But the Scriptures are as express that Christ died for the Elect as that God elected them And if Christ purchased no more for them then for others they might have perished as well as others for any thing his Redemption or Purchase could do for them or had done 6ly If Christ intended his death for certain particular persons then he purchased more than a meer covenant or conditions of Life The consequence is evident If he purchased life to be given to certain men certainly infallibly then he purchased more than offer of life to them upon conditions which they might or might not perform The Minor That Christ in his death intended the redemption of certain particular persons the Scriptures assirm He laid down his Life for the Sheep Joh. 10.15 16. even for those of the Gentiles that were not of the Jewish Fold and so yet knew him not And the effects of this laying down his life for them was on purpose to call them in due time v. 16. to teach and make them follow him v. 27. and to keep them safe to life eternal by his own and the Fathers power v. 28 29. and from these Sheep are distinguished those who are not of his Sheep and therefore all means are ineffectual to make them believe v. 25 26. He died to gather together in one all the Children of God Joh. 11.52 that were scattered abroad i. e. all the Elect of God dispersed throughout all Nations And the Apostle Paul saith of himself He loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2.30 Therefore Christ redeemed particular persons and did not only purchase Grants and Covenants 7ly Christ purchased the Spirit and Grace to make his Death effectual to those he died for therefore he purchased more than a Covenant of Grace A meer Covenant of Grace only promiseth Life upon conditions of Faith and Obedience leaving it to men whether they will perform them or not as the Covenant of Works promised life to perfect obedience and then left it to Adam whether he would obey or not A meer Covenant makes no provision of grace and strength to enable men to perform it If then Christ purchased grace to believe and to obey for the Elect he purchased more than a Covenant of Grace and that he did so hath been partly proved and may be further evidenced by this That when Christ saith he laid down his life for the Sheep Joh. 10.16 c. he presently adds he must bring home all the Sheep and make one Fold under one Shepheard himself and that he will make them follow him and will preserve and lead them to Eternal Life and no Wolves shall pluck them out of his hand v. 27 28 29. Also that he died to gather into one all the Children of God This must be done by his Spirit and Grace purchased by his Redemption and that power which is given to him not only to purchase but also to apply the blessed Fruits of Redemption to them Thus our
promised life by it 〈◊〉 to use the Ordinances and promised grace by them and that in believing him we shall have life everlasting So Faith as the rest is Gods instrument as to appointment anâ— success ours as to the use and practice of it 〈◊〉 only it is not proper to call it a passive instrument as some do or to say it justifies passively whose mistake is rather in the term thaâ— in the sence For Faith is a Moral not 〈◊〉 proper Physical instrument which only can be passive Again a passive instrument is thaâ— which hath no activity at all but is meerly used by the Agent in his action as a Knife Saw or the like but Faith justifieth actively or as a grace whereby the whole Soul understanding the promise of pardon in Christ accepts it trusteth in it expecteth Salvatioâ— only that way now this is a moral reception or acceptation of and dependance upon Christ in the Promise not a Physical passiveness as the term seems to imply We are now to prove That we are thus justified by Faith as hath been laid down because though the Scripture is full and express for it in many places yet other sences are now put upon them Argument 1. Faith is the means of obtaining all particular merits both spiritual and temporal only by trusting in the promise of them hence blessedness is ascribed to trusting in God Ps â—4 13 and many times God delivered men because they trusted in him 2 Chr. 20.20 Obedience qualifies and fits the subject to receive â—ercies but still Faith is supposed as that â—hich giveth right to mercies The Vertues 〈◊〉 Unbelievers have no promise the promise to Faith therefore Justification also comâ—â— by Faith in the Promise of pardon for â—ere is the same reason for all the Promises â—aith as faith obtain other Promises why â—t this also besides the Promise of Justification is the foundation of all the rest and â—â—udes them virtually therefore if Faith enâ—â—le to all other Promises and Mercies much â—â—re to this nay Faith in particular Promiâ—â— obtains mercy chiefly upon this account â—â—cause it hath first obtained reconciliation â—â—h God and the promise of his love in Christ for upon this all promises are founded and true trusting in them doth suppole our trusting in God first for Justification yea is a secondary act of the same Faith 2 Cor. 1.24 Argument 2. As Abraham was so are all men justified Gal. 3.7 8 9. all Believers are his Seed anâ— blessed with him and in the same way buâ— Abraham was justified by Faith as it is a trusting in the promise of God viz. a promisâ—â— that he and all the World should be blesseâ— in Christ Ergò That Abraham was thus justified the Apostle affirms Gal. 3.6 He believed and it was imputed to him for righteousness and this believing is opposed to seeking righteousness by the works of the Law v. 10. Thsy that are of the Law are not blessed with Abraham but under the Curse because thâ—â— keep not the whole Law which comprehenâ—â— the Moral as well as Ceremonial thereforâ— faith as trusting in the promise justified himâ— Moreover Christ redeemed us from the Cuâ—â— of the Law that we might receive the promiâ—â— of the Spirit by Faith v. 13 14. Vnto Abraham and his Seed were the Promises made v. 1â— and the Inheritance is not of the Law but 〈◊〉 Promise v. 18. The Faith then that justifiâ—â— Abraham was a trust in Gods Promises contradistinct to obedience to the Law or Commands If you ask what Promise I answer v. 17. directe us to it The Law was 400 〈◊〉 30 years after the Covenant or Promise whiâ—â— points at the time when Abraham was first â—alled and of the Promise made to him then â—nd to all Nations in him Gen. 12.1 2 3. by believing that promise Abraham was justified â—nd his faith in the promise of a Son mentioned above Chap. 15.6 and Rom. 4. was but a subsequent act of his justifying faith and its â—eing imputed for righteousness Vid. Prest On the Cov. Serm. 11. but an instance or evidence that his faith in the promise of being blessed in Christ did justifie him before God Argument 3. The Just shall live by Faith Habak 2.4 The Prophet spoke it immediately concerning temporal deliverance in publick calamities but these deliverances to the Children of God are tokens and fore-runners of deliverance from the Wrath to come and effects of their reconciliation with God therefore â—s it is usual in the New Testament to apply such promises to spiritual things so the Apostle applieth this of the Prophet to Justification wherefore as to live in the Prophet principally signified preservation from the temporal effects of the wrath of God so with the Apostle it signifieth to be delivered from eternal wrath and eternal death by the special favour of God i. e. to be justifyed now this he ascribes to Faith only Rom. 1.17 where he proveth that the Gospel is the power of God to Salvatian in them that believe because therein is the righteousness of God revealed from Faith to Faith which is further confirmed because the Just shall live bâ— Faith it is believing then that saves meâ— and faith that makes them partakers of thâ— Righteousness of God revealed in the Gospel therefore by that they live i. e. are justified and yet more express Gal. 3.11 The Apostle proves by this Text That a Man cannot be justified by his Works and thinketh it aâ— Argument above exception but that no maâ— is justified by the Law in the sight of God it 〈◊〉 evident for the Just shall live by Faith Argument 4. To be justified by Faith is directly opposed to Justification by Works and by ouâ— own Righteousness therefore Faith justified only by trusting in Gods Mercy through Chrisâ— The Antecedent is the Apostles Rom. 10.5 6. The Righteousness of the Law saith That hâ— that doth them shall live in them but the righteousness of Faith saith If thou believe in thy heart that God raised Christ from the dead thou shalt be saved v. 9. likewise Gal. 3.10 having said the Just shall live by Faith he adds the Law is not of Faith but the Man that doth them shall live by them therefore Man cannot be justified by the Works of the Law iâ— must be by Faith only will they again sayâ— that these places only exclude the works oâ— the Ceremonial Law Surely Moses in the place cited Lev. 18.5 speaketh of the whole Law given to the Jews as the context sheweth and as it is interpreted by the Prophet Ezekiel 20.13 Or will they say that only perfect Works and the Law of innocency are excluded not imperfect sincere Obedience Ans If any works justifie they must be perfect else there must be a conjunction of Gods mercy and Mans own works to justifie him and so a Medium betwixt Justification by Faith and by Works even to be justified by both together and so the Apostle argues imperfectly yea
encourage men in the use of these means against all difficulties If we fly to God for Salvation and depend upon his Promise for it doth not this in its own nature oblige us to follow him in the way he hath appointed for the performance of that promise and doth it not undo and revoke what faith hath done in accepting and trusting in Christ for life to be negligent of the means whereby it should be brought about yea it shews Man regards not life and so doth not really trust in Christ for it trust and confidence in any friend to bring any business to pass for us makes no man more regardless of his friend or negligent of doing his part 2ly Faith trusts in God for his Grace and Spirit as well as for Pardon though faith as justifying directly and formally respects only the ptomise of pardon and life yet secondarily it considers and trusts in the promises of a new heart assistance and perseverance to the end and here we are said to be kept by the power of God through faith to Salvation 1 Pet. 1.8 and to be saved by hope Rom. 8. because the power and grace of God to bring us to Heaven is given to us believing and trusting in it If then Faith taketh in the promises of grace also how should it open a way to sin and sloth 3ly Faith doth virtually include an acceptance of grace or of Christ to sanctifie as well as to pardon it implies some repentance and aversion from sin and therefore must naturally engage to mortification and holiness â—ot hinder it I say not that accepting of Christ is a proper act of Faith as is usually â—â—firmed in popular discourses Acceptance â—â—mally is rather an act of love liking of and â—â—senting to such a person and his motions 〈◊〉 as before faith is wrought the heart is ordinarily prepared to believe by knowledge repentance love acceptance and deâ—â—e of pardon and grace by the common â—ork of the Spirit so Faith really trusting in 〈◊〉 promise of eternal life resting upon it â—â—h the whole heart doth include and imply â—â—ind of acceptance of it and afterwards it 〈◊〉 up more express acts of desire and acceptance from love which follows faith likeâ—â—e the heart being prepared by Convictions 〈◊〉 Sorrow to welcome Pardon then it doth 〈◊〉 all sincerity trust in the Promise of Parâ—â—â— this doth include an aversion from sin willingness to be holy why else should we 〈◊〉 strongly in the Promise of Forgiveness 〈◊〉 Life coming from a holy God through 〈◊〉 holy Mediatour and this necessarily exâ—â—â— express acts of Repentance and Mortiâ—â—tion he that truly understands what it is 〈◊〉 pardoned and justified and trust in the promise of it with all his heart doth in so doing shew an implicite resolution against sin and must manisest an explicite one afterwards 4ly Trusting in the grace of God when true brings the favour of the love of God and Christ Rom. 5.1 5. and this naturally inclineth to love thankfulness and obedience The groundless boast of Gods love are made an occasion of sloth by unsanctified hearts buâ— a true apprehension of it is a great motive tâ— love and obedience a greater and more effectual than an expectation of being justified bâ— Obedience For such Men will take a libertâ— to sin sometimes but the sence of the love 〈◊〉 God while strong in the heart will suffer nâ— such thing it is not only a rational but 〈◊〉 natural principle too and therefore it worâ—â— more forcibly 2 Cor. 5.14 The Love 〈◊〉 Christ constraineth us because we thus judgâ—â— If one died for all then were all dead aâ—â— that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto hâ—â— which died for them and rose again If tâ—â— true sense of Gods love without danger 〈◊〉 Hell were not enough to engage men to 〈◊〉 bedience what engageth Saints and Angâ—â— in Heaven now this sense of the love of Gâ—â— cometh by Faith in his Mercy therefore Faâ—â— engageth to Obedience If we are justified by trusting in Gods Mâ—â—cy Object 4. and through the Righteousness of Chrâ—â— without fulfilling any Terms or Conditions Vide True-man Gr. Prop. p. 89. then is there no proper Pardon of Sin For Christ's Righteousness being the perfect fulfilling of the Law and we being justified only by applying that Righteousness to us it seems we shall be accounted to have fulfilled the Law by our Surety and so not to be chargeable with Sin nor to need forgiveness Answ 1. They do wisely to begin to complain first for their own Opinion is not only liable to the same exception but seemeth inexcusable from it There are but two kinds of sins as they distribute them some against the Law of Works others against the Law of Grace and the Gospel and neither of these are properly pardoned Not the sins against the Law for saith our Author and his friends must say the same Christ did not properly fulfil the Law nor was the Curse of it properly executed upon him but he endeavoured that the legal threat might not be executed and gave to God a valuable consideration for which he might with Justice not execute that Law and be free to prescribe new conâ—itions of life to Sinners Hence I argue The Law was waved not fulfilled by the sinner or any for him neither was the sinner thereupon reconciled therefore the sins against the Law when men come under the Gospel are waved superseded but not pardoned Proper pardon is not only a forbearing to punish but a remission of the punishment with a reconciliation to thâ—â— offendor but in this case God is not reconciled but only gives them new terms of Savation nor doth he remit the punishment though he forbear it for the present for if after trial they fulfil not the Terms of the Gospel their sins against the Law also shall bâ— charged upon them and if at last they dâ—â— fulfil the conditions of the Gospel they aâ—â— saved thereby fulfilling the new terms thaâ—â— are given them then their old sins against the Law are forgotten and past over but theâ— is no proper pardon of them or reconcilinâ— the breakers of the Law as such Nor 〈◊〉 there pardon of their sins against the Gospel for if men fulfil not the conditions of it theâ— are condemned and so not pardoned If theâ— do fulfil them this is their righteousness bâ— this they are justified and saved because theâ— have performed those terms whereupon liâ—â— is promised where then is there place fâ—â— pardon when the Law is fulfilled If they say their Obedience is imperfect and sinful I answer it is so compared with the Law 〈◊〉 Works but not compared with the Law 〈◊〉 Grace Sincere Obedience to the Gospel 〈◊〉 as much as is required to bring a man to Heaven therefore by the Gospel it is reckoneâ—â— a fulfilling of what was required and so 〈◊〉 need no pardon Nor can it be conceiveâ—â— how the
men to obedience whether there be Promises or Threaâ— or none or whatever they be which he doâ— in this life with many infirmities and in Heaven without any CHAP. IX That Faith doth not justifie as a Condition and that it doth not justifie as believing in Christ as King and Prophet as well as Priest THat Faith justifieth a Sinner as it is a trust in the Promise of Life through the Righteousness of Jesus Christ hath been proved and vindicated in the preceding Chapters We are now to consider what the opposite Opinion is concerning Faith and its Influence upon Justification The Scriptures teach that Abraham the Father and great Exemplar of all Believers was justified by Faith his Faith was counted to him for Righteousness Rom. 4.3 And that this Faith was a Trust in the Promise of God is evident both from the occasion and immediate Object of it the Promise of a Son against all natural hope and probability and that his Seed should be numerous be the people of God the Blessed of the World Gen. 15.4 5 6 18. c. and also from the Apostles Explication or Amplification of this Faith in this Chapter v. 19 20 21 22. viz. That it was a believing in hope against hope and a not considering the natural impossibility of the thing promised and not staggering at the Promise through unbelief but being strong in Faith and fully perswaded that God was able to perform what he promised and that this Faith justified him as such a trust in the Promises and not as an Act of Obedience is evident from the Apostles own Reason in the close of that Discourse v. 22. Therefore iâ— was imputed to him for Righteousness Wherefore Because it was a firm trust in the Promise of God It is also added v. 23. That this Example was written not for Abraham's sake only but for ours that succeed because Faith also shall be imputed to us for Righteousness if we believe in him that raised Christ from the dead who died for our sins and rose again for our justification v. 24 25. If this was written for our sakes then the Faith that justifieth us must be a trust in the Promise as Abraham's was even in the Promise of Life through the death of Christ and must justifie us as a trust in that Promise as his did him and not upon any other account It is the Righteousness of Christ for which God justifies believing Sinners but because they are rational Creatures God doth not justifie them without their knowledge consent or acceptance but with and by means of it and this is Faith sc Man's trusting in or acceptance of Life promised in Christ which doth render the subject as a rational Creature capable of pardon and mercy by a Promise though that natural capacity of the subject would not obtain pardon if it were not promised to it and this is all we mean when we say Faith is the Instrument of our Justification viz. That God having promised Justification through Christ to all that believe or trust in it this Faith doth trust in it or is that disposition of the soul whereby it doth trust in that promise and so obtain a grant of Jnstification We acknowledge to believe God's Promises is commanded by him and an act of our Obedience to him always indispensibly due but we say That Faith obtaineth any thing promised and Justification in particular not as or because it obeyeth the general command of believing Gods Promises but as it trusteth in dependeth upon the Promises and consequently that God fulfilleth the Promise of Pardon Justification and the immediate fruits of it to a Believer out of his meer goodness and faithfulness not out of remunerative Justice and Debt as he must if he justifieth for Faith as an act of Obedience to any Command But our Opposites will have Faith to justifie us as the condition of the New Covenant 〈◊〉 Gospel not as a meer trust in the Promise A condition saith Amyrald Amyrald dissert de grat unic p. 52. is a certain â—aw added to a matter or business which is required to be performed by a man Conditio 〈◊〉 Lex addita negotio quae ab homine exigitur â—o that believing in Christ is annexed to the promise of Justification as a Law requiring that faith and then saith must justifie as obedience to or fulfilling of that Command is Perfect Obedience was the condition of the â—aw So they tell us Faith is the condition of the Gospel and one justifyeth now as the other did then sc as Man should then have been justified for his Perfect Obedience as the fulfilling of the Law to which life was promised so now Faith justifieth as or because it obeyeth the Gospel Chmmand of believing in Christ to which life is promised to Sinners To strengthen this they further say which indeed is but a just consequence of it that as the Covenant of Works upon the condition of Perfect Obedience was made with all Mankind in Adam so also the Covenant of Grace was made with all Mankind in him also after the Fall and renewed to Noah upon the condition of Faith in Christ i. e. as before they were all commanded to obey perfectly and they should live for so doing so now they are all commanded to believe in Christ and they shall live for so doing Foedus gratiae salutaris in Adamo cum omnibus singulis hominibus initum Ibid. p. 87. et in Noa cum omnibus singulis hominibus sancitum fuit sub fidei conditione adeo ut si omnes singuli crederent salutis à Christo partae compotes fierent This we are now to examine and there are two Opinions about it One acknowledgeth Faith to be fiducia a trust in the promise and this only to be the condition of Justification the other makes Faith to include Obedience to the Gospel Command so that when they sayâ— Faith justifys they mean Faith and Obedience flowing from it To begin with the First 'T is usual with Divines to call Faith the Condition of the Gospel and Justification but they take the terâ— condition improperly and largely for any thing required of us and that must be in us in order to being justifyed they mean no more but that men are not justifyed by the Death of Christ as a Ransom paid for them without any thing in them to apply it to themselves in particular but that his death doth justify them being offered in the Promises trusted in them for themselves in particular Ibid. in this sence we grant Faith to be a condition of Justification But some Amyraldus and others take a condition strictly for something required not only as a disposition of the subject or as an internal rational means of obtaining a thing but also as acquiring a right to it as the performance of that Command which required it and thus they say Faith is the Condition of Justification i. e. we are justifyed
because we fulfil or obey the Command of believing in Christ Against this I thus argue 1. If Faith justify as a fulfilling the command of believing then the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 credere Faith it self is our Righteousness and Christ's Righteousness hath only procur'd a Covenant of Faith by fulfilling whereof we should be justifyed as we should have been by fulfilling the Law of Works For in this Opinion Faith justifyeth as Obedience to the Command of believing and Obedience cannot be the Medium of applying Christ's Obedience for our Righteousness but is it self a righteousness according to the Law that requires it So then Faith must be our Righteousness now as perfect Obedience was under the Law and must justify as the Work of the Gospel 2ly Faith is the unfittest of all Graces to be the condition of life because it is only a trust in Free-Mercy and carries with it an acknowledgement of our unworthiness and nothingness and so bringeth nothing to God but a bare object of Mercy and Compassion All other graces bring some positive Honour to God together with a denyal of our selves and our inordinate desires to the Creatures but Faith bringeth nothing but a confession of Misery with a desire and hope of Mercy therefore is unfit to be our Righteousness and to come into the room of Perfect Obedience 3ly If Faith justify as a condition then Man hath a natural power to believe in Christ how else can Faith be required of him as a new condition of life after he had failed of life by the first condition of Obedience The Gospel by this Doctrine is a Law of Faith but a proper Law doth suppose power to obey in the subjects of it Quest Obj. Quest 9. Vid. Pelt Art 13. Paragr 2. This Arminius confesseth Deum non posse ullo modo fidem in Jesum Christum postulare ab homine lapso quam ex se habere non potest nisi aut dederit aut dare paratus sit gratiam sufficientem quâ credere possit si velit i. e. God cannot by any means require Fallen Man to believe which of himself he cannot do unless he hath given him or will be ready to give grace sufficient to believe if he will 4ly If Faith be the gift of special grace as is acknowledged by these I now deal with how can it be required of all that hear the Gospel seeing they have neither power of their own to believe nor a promise that Faith shall be given them If it be said that Faith is promised I ask is it promised on some other condition or absolutely If upon condition then we shall have conditions in infinitum unless we stop in something that is in Man's Power to do Ibid. p. 55. as Amyraldus well observeth Fides impetrata fuit non ut offeretur sub acceptandi conditione sed ut ipsa illa conditio esset per quam salus recipitur alioqui res abiret in infinitum nec ullus unquam esset terminus conditionum impetrandarum If absolutely either to all that hear the Gospel and so all should believe or to some only but no such promise can be produc'd that when the Gospel is preach'd to a people such and such shall have Faith given them But if it be said the Promise of Life in Christ is declared to all and God persuadeth whom he pleaseth to trust in it Is it not then better to say that Faith is only an instrument whereby God inableth Men to lay hold of the Promise â—o Justification than to offer violence to the nature of all proper Laws and the conditions of them by making Faith the condition required by a proper Law which Man hath not â—ower to perform nor is sure to have it given when he needeth it and I suppose no instance can be given of any such Law either Human or Divine that requireth a condition out of the power or beyond the ability of the subject before the Law was made and doth not certainly provide that ability for him any other way The Second Opinion is of those that affirm Obedience to be included in Faith and so Faith and Obedience to be the condition of life i. e. that we are required sincerely to believe and obey the Gospel Commands Histories and Promises to our lives end and for so doing we shall be justified and saved Faith in this Opinion is not an immediate trust in the Promise of life through Christ but a general belief of the truth of the Histories and Promises of the Gospel encouraging to obey the Precepts of it yea though there be 〈◊〉 particular persuasion that this man in particular shall be saved if he obey the Gospel 〈◊〉 yet this is not proper trust or affiance but a more practical assent to the general Promises and Doctrine of the Gospel a trust upon an uncertain condition is no more a truâ— and proper trust than a proposition depending on a future contingency is a proper oâ— certain proposition or hath determinate truth or falshood This is the Doctrine 〈◊〉 the Remonstrants as hath been shewed Chapâ— 5. We may also observe That though thâ— Opinion be commonly exprest by believing in or receiving Christ as our King and Prophet as well as Priest yet in truth it maketh Faith or the condition of the Gospel tâ— respect Christ only as a King immediately and as a Prophet and Priest accidentally and remotely For to prescribe Laws and Conditions of Life whereby men must be judged saved or condemned and then to judge them by those Laws and either justifie or condemn them for their obedience or disobedience to them are all Kingly Acts or Exercises of Kingly Power and these only are immediately respected by this Faith which is nothing else but obeying what Christ hath commanded upon belief of the truth of what he hath declared and promised to that Obedience and so is that for which men shall be judicially justified It is true Christ as a Prophet doth explain and teach his own Law but this is accidental to a Legislator and men must obey the teaching of Christ but obedience as such is not because he teacheth but because he that teacheth is also the Law maker and hath authority to command obedience Therefore Faith as obedience and so justifying doth not properly respect Christ as a Prophet nor doth it eye him as a Priest being not a trust in his satisfaction and Righteousness to be saved by it which was the main Exercise of his Priestly Office but an obedience to the New Law which Christ had made as a King and only had purchased as a Priest leave of the Father to make such a Law and that those that obeyed it should be saved The Priesthood therefore of Christ is but remotely respected in believing as the foundation of his Law and Promises annexed to it This Mr. Baxter confesseth in effect 1 Disput of Just P. 25. when he saith Christ's Merit is the remote moral cause of our
If any say Believers may be sure they shall persevere and so the Promise shall be certain I answer None of the Authors we deal with will say so and if they should this would overthrow Obedience being the condition of our Justification for then we should have an absolute Promise of perseverance and so of Justification before we are perfectly justifyed which no sober man will affirm Besides to what is this Promise of perseverance made to Faith then Faith alone hath the Promise of Obedience and Perseverance whereby we must be justified though they will not allow it to justifie us and then they contend to little purpose Moreover this Faith of Abraham was such as whereby both Jews under Moses's Law and Gentiles exempt from that Law should be justifyed but the Jews under the Law were not justified by Obedience to the Gospel dispensation which then was not given nor was Abraham himself justified by it which was not then in force nor yet are the Gentiles since the abolition of the Law obliged to the same Obedience that Abraham was he being under the Law of Circumcision and Sacrifices and other Institutions afterward incorporated with the Law of Moses therefore this Faith which justifieth Abraham and all Believers alike is not Obedience to the Gospel or any edition of the Law of God and the Apostle himself explains it in the next words v. 17. Abraham was made the Father of many Nations before him whom he believed c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it may be rendred forasmuch as he believed in God who quickneth the dead and calleth things that are not as if they were who against hope believed in hope c. all this plainly respects Abraham's trust and Gods Promise not his Obedience and by this he was justified and made the Father and Pattern of all believers therefore Belieâ—evers are not justified by Obedience Argument 2. If Gospel Obedience or Faith as including Obedience justifys then the Gospel justifys as a Law not as a Promise of Mercy and Grace in Christ but Fal'n Man cannot be justified by any Law Ergò The Consequence is evident Obedience respects the Law as such and to be justified by a Law or the observance of it and to be justified by a promise of meer Mercy are directly opposite The Gospel according to them may have a Promise of Life annexed to Obedience but it justifieth for that Obedience to which life was promised after the manner of all other Laws that have Promises of reward annexed and not as a Promise of Mercy and Life to be given gratis I prove the Minor Fal'n Man cannot be justified by any Law of God because he is not able to perform any he is no more able oâ— himself to obey the Evangelical Law thaâ— the Perfect Law of Works for having nâ— principle of spiritual life in him he hath nâ— more power to yield imperfect than perfect Obedience in nothing there are no degrees not more and less The Apostle saith Gaâ— 3.21 If there had been a Law given or could be given which could give life Righteousness should be by the Law God as a Creator and Lord first expecteth Obedience from his Creatures and would reward them for it 〈◊〉 Men were able to fulfil any Law of Obedience fit for God to require of him in order to hâ—â— own honour and Man's happiness God would certainly enjoyn him that Law but by 〈◊〉 Law is the knowledge of Sin Rom. 4.15 bâ— every divine Law as well as the Law 〈◊〉 Works Man doth but discover his own sinfulness because not able to obey it and therefore he can be justified by no Law If they say God can enable them to fulfil the Precepts of the Gospel so he could also have enabled them to have peformed the Law of Innocency If it be said God hath promised he will enable men to it then this Promise must be as universal as the Law else the Law would require an impossibity of some Men and if it be then all that are commanded to obey the Gospel are promised to be made able to perform it which is the Jesuits Universal-sufficient-grace in the highest degree but if the Gospel do not carry with it a certain promise or power to fulfil it as it doth not before Faith then it propoundeth to Men a way of Salvation which to them at present is as impossible as to be saved by the Law of Works and for what they know ever shall be therefore the Gospel cannot justify as a Law But the natural consequence of this Doctrine is That Man hath Natural Ability to obey the Gospel and that his Nature is not corrupted or not so far as to extinguish all spiritual life and therefore that men by diligence may overcome their own indisposition and obey the Gospel sincerely which God will mercifully accept to their Salvation and hence Mr. Trueman and others tell us That the Gospel is fitted to Mans weak and broken condition requiring no more than is a greable to it it is indeed fitted to Mans miserable state if it be taken for a free promise of life but not if it be a Law promising life only to Obedience unless he hath power to obey If a Creditor to whom is due 1000 pounds would be content to take 1000 Pence from a poor Debtor and yet will stand upon it that he should perish in Prison unless he pay the 100 Pence when he knoweth he can neither pay nor procure one Penny of good and currant Mony surely he cannot be said to have tempered and suited his terms and demands to the broken and shattered condition of the Poor Debtor Argument 3. If Obedience to the Gospel justifie Christians then Obedience to the Law of Moses did justifie the Jews that were under that dispensation For that was then the way of life and obedience to the Jews as the Gospel is now to Christians nor was it given them as a Covenant of perfect Obedience but was indeed a more imperfect and obscure edition of the Gospel and the Jews were but as Heirs in their minority under Tutors and Governours till they were fit for the greater liberty of Sons Gal. 4.1 2 3 4 5. Nor can there be any reason why the Jews should not be justified by sincere obedience to the Law unless it be affirmed to be a Covenant of Perfect Obedience and then their case was worse than Adam's more being required of them than of him and they without strength to obey it Minor But the Jews were not justified by sincere obedience to the Law of Moses Ergò Acts 13.38 39. St. Paul preached to the Jews That in Christ's Name was preached to them the forgiveness of sins and that by him all that believe are justifyed from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses Their Justification must come by forgiveness of sins through believing in Christ's Name and not by their obedience to the Law which he saith â—â—as impossible
Obedience their distinct Offices Argument 2. They argue That God is not to be considered as a Creditor in the business of Justification but as a Rector or Governour dealing with Sinners Gr. Prop. p. 86. not as with Debtors but as with rebellious Subjects who are to be forgiven and reclaimed by Laws and by granting them Terms and Conditions of Pardon and reconciliation Mr. Trueman Answ The Scripture setteth out God under the notion of a Creditour and pardon by forgiving of debts Mat. 18.23 27. c. and such a one as doth not release part only and requiring a third or fourth of the Debt but as one that forgives all even to ten thousand Talents and we are taught daily to pray Forgive us our Debts as we forgive our Debtors and yet we acknowledge That God in justifying dealeth with men as a Rector or Governor To Pardon is an act of Government yea of Sovereignity none but a Sovereign can forgive the breach of his own Laws and restore offenders to favour God as as a Supream Legislator and Rector thought of a way to save sinners appointed his Son to die for them accepted his satisfaction when it was made promiseth pardon to them that fly to his mercy and mercifully forgiveth them that trust in it and justly acquitteth and dischargeth them for the Righteousness of his Son and when they are justified and made his Children he doth eternally govern them by his Laws of Obedience all these are the acts of a Rector therefore on this account there is no need that they should be justifyed by Conditions of New Obedience Argument 3. They argue From the comparison of Mens forgiveness which is always upon conditions of amendment either expressed or implied When a Prince Proclaims Pardon to Rebels it is either exprest or implied that they lay down their Arms and return to their obedience and continue in it In like manner they think God cannot pardon men but upon Conditions of Repentance and obedience for the remainder of their lives Answ If a man should receive and accept satisfaction from another in the behalf of an offendor and then impose conditions upon him for his Pardon or Reconciliation he would certainly be unjust and this is our case towards God he hath accepted a Ransom and Atonement in the Bloud of his Son and forgiveth men for and in respect to that and therefore requireth no conditions of them for their reconciliation but that they accept of a trust in the mercy promised in his Son There is another great difference betwixt God and Man in the matter of forgiveness 2dly Man cannot make the Offendor obedient for the future nor can be sure he will be obedient and therefore he makes conditions with him and obligeth him by hope of impunity and fear of punishment if he offend again but God can and doth intend when he pardoneth man to give him a heart to love and obey him to the end and therefore needs not make this a condition of their pardon Besides the greatest Princes have not such absolue Power of pardon in the breach of their own Laws as God hath of his nor can they repair the dishonour done to themselves and their Law as God can partly in magnisying his grace and partly in the inestimable value of his Sons bloud by which all the dishonour done to him by Man is abundantly repaired But Mr. Baxter hath handled this question in a set Disputation to which he refers us 4 Disp of Justedisp 1 where he give us 10 Arguments to prove this Thesis p. 13. We are justifyed by God by our believing in Christ as Teacher and Lord and not only by believing in his Bloud or Righteousness which I shall briefly consider so far as they tend to prove Obedience to be the condition of our Justification which is the main drift of them though not as they mediately respect the terms of his Thesis which I have before proved out of this same disputation to be oequivocal and improper For by this Doctrine we are justifyed only by obeying the Gospel of Christ which consisteth of his Precepts Promises and Threatnings which all proceed from him as a King not as a Priest or Prophet i. e. therefore we are justifyed by believing in him as King only not as a Priest or Prophet unless accidentally and remotely as he confesseth p. 25. The Argument follows Argument 1. From the confession of those that we dispute with p. 13. If it be granted that believing in Jesus Christ as Lord and Teacher is a real part of the condition of our Justification then it is granted that by this believing in him we are justifyed as by a condition but the former is true therefore the latter Answ If he had quoted any Authors we might the better have judged of the truth of the Antecedent all that looks like a proof is p. 14. 3dly They expresly make it antecedent to our Justification as of Moral necessity ex constitutione promittentis and say it is the Fides quae justificat All the meaning whereof is that as the Gospel revealeth Christ who dyed for us to be a King and Teacher of his People so in order to our coming to him to be saved by him we must acknowledge or believe this Doctrine that he died for our sins and is to teach us and rule us that he may save us But 1. It is not necessary to Justification that persons should have a distinct knowledge of the Offices of Christ but 't is sufficient that they seek Pardon and Salvation only through him This Faith saved them before Christ's coming though without any distinct knowledge of his Person and under the Gospel many ignorant persons and weak capacities yet true Christians scarce ever have a more distinct knowledge of their Saviour in whom they trust much less have they it before Justification 2ly If believing in Christ as Lord and Teacher mean as it ought in this Argument a purpose or promise of Obedience to Christ it is no part or act of justifying Faith not of the faith quae justificat but an effect wrought by it and if any of our Divines say it is they speak popularly not logically and are popularly to be understood viz. that justifying Faith is always conjoyned with a purpose of obedience 3ly If believing in Christ as Lord and Teacher as well as in his bloud be taken for trusting in Christ to be taught sanctified and ruled by him to eternal life as well as to have our sins forgiven this we grant to be justifying Faith Faith quae justificat but these are several acts of Faith and they have their several particular objects and their order and do not all go before Justification but a sinner first looks to Christ to satisfy the Law to reconcile him to God to deliver him from wrath and when the Promise of this is revealed to him he trusteth in it and hereby is accepted and reconciled his
Argument 4. We are justifyed by Christ as Priest p. 24. Prophet and King conjunctly and not by any of these alone much less by his Humiliation and Obedience alone then according to the Opponents own Principles who argue from the distinct interest of the several parts of the Objects to the distinct interest of the several acts of Faith we are justified by believing in Christ as Priest Prophet and King Answ Faith as a distinct habit hath no acts but practical assent to a revealed truth which in respect of the promise is called trust or affiance One habit hath but one sort of elicite acts though it may cause divers effects upon the will and affections according to the nature of divers objects therefore we do not argue from the distinct interest of several acts of Faith but from Faith as trusting in the Promise of Justification as the special object of the act that justifieth Again the Object of justifying Faith according to this Opinion must be the whole declared Will of Christ or the whole Gospel for that is it which we believe and obey and Obedience to it is the form or righteousness by and for which we are justifyed therefore those Terms of Christ's justifying in his whole Person and all his Offices or Faith justifying with respect to them are added in vain they being no more included in the nature of Justification or respected by Faith as justifying in this way than in ours The promise of life by Christ to believing only is as much founded upon his whole Person and all his Offices as if the promise were made to our Obedience to the whole Gospel But we deny the Antecedent let us hear the proof The Word Justification signifieth these 3 acts p. 24. 1st Condonation or constitutive Justification by the Law of grace or promise of the Gospel 2ly Absolution by sentence in judgment 3ly The execution of the former by actual liberation from penalty The two former are more properly called Justification As for the first I argue Christ doth as King and Benefactor on supposition of his antecedent Merits enact the Law of grace or promise by which we are justified Ergò As King and Benefactour he doth justifie us by condonation or constitution As the Father by a right of Creation was Rector of the new created World and so made the Covenant of Life that was then made so the Son and the Father by right of Redemption is Rector of the new redeemed World and so made the Law of grace that gives Christ and life to all that will believe c. Answ Christ as God the same in substance with the Father did together with him enact both the Covenants of Works and of Grace but as Mediator which only is to our purpose he did not enact the Covenant or Law of Grace and it is only said that he did and not proved It was God as God and in special the Father according to the order of the Three Persons that gave the Law of Works that was offended by sin that condemned sinners and therefore he only that could appoint a way whereby they should be saved and he only coul justifie him Christ as Mediator though God in Nature yet in Office was God's Servant Isa 53.11 Mat. 12 18. and his business was not to enact Laws or constitute a way for Man's Redemption but to work out and bring to pass that way which God purchased and to fulfil his Will in it Heb. 10.7 which he did first by satisfying the Law and purchasing Reconciliation as a Priest then by declaring as a Prophet that Pardon was to be had by believing in his Bloud and Lastly as a King yet ministerial under the Father by overpouring the hearts of Gods Elect to believe that God might justify them and then by sanctifying and ruling them by his Word and Spirit to bring them to life It belongeth to the Father to justifie constitutively i. e. to propose the way wherein Men should be justified and through believing to justifie them to the Mediator almost but ministerially to declare it to Men by authority from the Father but most properly to bring it to pass by the execution of all his Offices Rom. 8.33 34. It is God that justifies it is Christ that died rose and intercedeth p. 25. 2ly It is said Justification by sentence of judgment is undeniably by Christ as King for God hath appointed to judge the World by him Acts 17.31 c. Answ Christ in judging the World is but a ministerial King For God is the Supream Judg Heb. 12.23 however we deny what is here took for granted That the sentence of the General Judgment is a declaration of a sinners Justification from the guilt of sin It is only the adjudging of justified Believers to Glory in Heaven for their Obedience according to Gods Fatherly promise p. 25. 3ly It is said For the execution of the sentence by actual liberation there can be little doubt being after both the former Answ Christ is ministerial in this also for he calleth Believers to inherit the Kingdom as being the blessed of the Father and it being prepared for them from the beginning of the World Mat. 25.34 Besides Glory in Heaven is a fruit of Adoption not of Justification immediately and Adoption is the act of the Father not of the Mediator And let it be observed That here all Justification is referred to Christ as King properly and immediately as was before said and he as Priest and Prophet did but make way for his justifying of us as King and therefore these offices are mentioned in the Question only for a shew that they acknowledge we are justifyed by his Bloud This is in effect confessed in the following words As the Teacher of the Church Christ doth not immediately justify but yet mediately he doth Ibid. and it is but mediately that he justifyeth by his Merits It is also said That Christ's granting the Promise or Act of Grace is the true natural p. 25. efficient instrumental Cause of Justification even the immediate Cause So then the whole Gospel as to be obeyed by us is the proper and immediate Instrument of our Justification and our obedience to the Gospel together with God's acceptance of it is the only internal Cause of Justification or the Righteousness for which we are justifyed and Christ's Merit and Righteousness and his Promulgation of the Gospel are but extrinsecal remote and preparatory Causes of it and these not absolutely necessary seeing these Authors do not deny but that God might have saved man without satisfaction and then it will follow if a man obey the Precepts of the Gospel and acknowledge Christ as Lord and King he may be saved although he believe only in a Glorified Saviour as the Jesuites preached to the people of China yea I understand not but a Socinian may be saved by obeying the Gospel though he deny the Merit of Christ having
all the immediate proper causes of Justification both internal and external and wanting only the remote preparatory causes If obedience to the Gospel as the Law of Christ be that alone to which Justification is promised then unbelief of his Merit when a man is not convinced of the truth of it can no more damn him than the unbelief of any other History concerning Christ suppose his being born at Bethlem or living at Nazareth c. when a man is not sufficiently perswaded of them For these were necessary ex Hypothesi because God would have it so and Christ's Merit was no more by their confession nor was it impossible according to their Principles but Christ might have been a King and enacted this Law of Grace though he had not been a Priest and satisfied for Sin And thus we have the bottom of this Mystery Next it is proved that Christ justifyeth as a Prophet p. 25. because the Gospel is a Law that must be promulgated and expounded and a Doctrine that must be taught and pressed on Sinners till they receive it and believe that they may be justified and this Christ doth as a Teacher and Faith must accordingly respect him Answ Faith must believe and trust in the Promise of Life made in Christ and preached by Christ and revealed to the heart by his Spirit But what is this to prove that a professed subjection to the teaching of Christ must justify us as well as Faith and yet methinks he that teacheth That the Covenant of Grace is written in all men's hearts and is a Secondary Law of Nature teaching men that God will forgive them that serve him sincerely though they know not that it was to be brought about by the Mediatour should not make it necessary to Justification to believe That Christ in Person preached the Gospel We have here Scriptures multiplied to prove that Christ hath power to forgive sins which is an Act of a King Mat. 9.6 ch 11. v. 27 28. ch 28. v. 19 20 c. which we grant he hath Ministerially viz. To declare the Promise of Forgiveness and to pronounce Pardon For he received this Power of the Father It followeth therefore that we must trust in him to declare and pronounce us forgiven but it is for his own Righteousness not for our Obedience Argument 5. It is a necessary condition of our being baptized for the Remission of Sins p. 27. that we profess a Belief in more than Christ's Humiliation and Merits Ergò More is a necessary condition of our actual Remission Mat. 28.19 20. 1 Pet. 3.21 Act. 8.37 1st Answ Here is continually ignoratio Elenchi We do not say that Christ's Humiliation and Merits are the only object of justifying Faith excluding his Person or any of his Offices but that Faith as justifying doth trust only in the promise of Reconciliation through the Merit of Christ but that it doth also in subsequent distinct Acts trust in the Promises of Illumination and Sanctification and in Christ himself to work these in us as a Prophet and King and to obtain them for us by his Priestly Intercession but all by virtue of his Merit and satisfaction which as it is the foundation of the other Offices of Christ so Faith always respects it as the foundation of all other Blessings to be hoped for 2ly 2ly I deny that any thing is necessary to Baptism for remission of sins more than a trust in Christ or the promise of Reconciliaon through his Bloud Baptism is as Circumcision was a Seal of the righteousness of Faith Rom. 4.11 i. e. that we shall be forgiven through believing It is God's Seal to his Covenant or Promise which men are supposed to have a right to before they are baptized and so before they can promise obedience Believing in the whole Trinity and then believing Christ to be the Son of God proveth nothing but that the remission which Baptism sealeth is to be expected from the true God in opposition to the Heathen and Jewish false Gods or false Notions of God viz. That we are to trust in the Father to justify us through the Bloud of his Son who will bring us to eternal life by the Operation of his Spirit and that Jesus of Nazareth is this Son of God so to be trusted in Mat. 28.20 Men are first to be baptised being instructed in the Doctrine of Christ afterwards taught all his Commandments and thus the Apostles practised preaching through Christ the remission of sins and then baptising them that believe Acts 10. Acts 13. If a Promise of Obedience be the condition of Baptism then Infants are not to be baptised 1 Pet. 3.21 only sheweth that Baptism as an outward Sign will not profit without reallity in the heart in believing or trusting in Christ which will produce obedience The Covenants of Obedience which the Church annexed to Baptism are not annexed to it as conditions of obtaining Remission of Sins but as conditions of men's Admission into the Fellowship of the Church and those as evidences of the reality of their Faith in Christ Argument 6. The Apostles of Christ themselves before his death p. 28. were justifyed by believing in him as the Son of God and the Teacher and King of the Church yea perhaps without believing at all in his Death and Ransom thereby Ergò Answ If believing here mean as it ought the Apostles acknowledging Christ to be the Son of God King and Teacher of his Church and their giving themselves to obey him then I deny the Antecedent they were not hereby justifyed but by their trust in the Promises of Pardon and Reconciliation through the Messias whom they now knew to be Jesus Christ though they knew not the particular way how he was to reconcile them to God They were justifyed as Abraham and David and all the former Saints were and their Love and Obedience to Christ so far as they understood him was an effect of their Faith All the Proof is The Apostles were justified and they acknowledged loved obeyed Christ as King and Prophet and understood not that he was to die for them therefore this justifyed them Which is no Consequent Argument 7. The Satisfaction and Merits of Christ are not the only objects of the Sanctifying and Saving Acts of Faith p. 30. therefore not of Justifying 1st Answ Faith looketh only to the Satisfaction of Christ or rather to the Promise founded on that merit as the procuring cause for Sanctification and Perseverance viz. That as perfect Justification so perfect Sanctification is purchased for us by Christ But the Sanctifying Act must respect Christ's following applicatory Acts p. 31. and not the purchase of Sanctification only so the justifying act must respect Christ's following collation or application and not only his purchase of Justification Answ 1 This still changeth the Question which is Whether Faith in Christ as Prophet Priest and King i. e. Obedience as well as trust
in his death do justify and here Faith both as justifying and sanctifying is taken for a trust in Christ in all his Offices to bestow Justification and Sanctification upon us and we never denied that justifying Faith doth extend it self to all the Offices of Christ As Faith trusteth in Christ as King and Prophet 2dly and Interceder with his Father for the progress and perfecting of Sanctification so we never denied that justifying Faith looketh to Christ as King Interceeder and Prophet for the comfort and effects of Justification But As trusting in Christ's Merits only 3dly obtaineth the grant and habit of Sanctification so trusting in the same Merits obtaineth the grant and actual Justification and looketh no further for it Faith indeed looketh to Christ in his several Offices for daily Sanctification for new degrees of it because that is a divisible and successive work not only to be purchased by Christ but also wrought by him gradually in prosecution of his own purchase but Justification is one indivisible act of the Father whereby a sinner is accepted to life eternal there is no place for subsequent acts and this Justification absolutely considered is only purchased by Christ there needs no other acts to apply it except in the comfort and effects of it Therefore we deny the consequence of the main Argument Faith trusteth in all the Offices of Christ for Sanctification Ergò It doth for Justification Argument 8. It is the same Faith in habit and act by which we are justifyed p. 31. and by which we have right to the Spirit of Sanctification for further degree and Adoption Glorification c. But it is believing in Christ as Prophet Priest and King by which we have right to the Spirit of Sanctification Adoption Glorification Answ I deny the Minor Believing in Christ as Priest or in his satisfaction and the promise o◠life thereupon gives a right to Reconciliation and life immediately and to the Spirit of Adoption and Sanctification consequently the promise of this being annexed to the promise of life and the having it being necessary to fit us for glory but believing or trusting in Christ as Prophet and King distinctly is a means of actual obtaining the Spirit of Sanctification and further degrees of it to which we had right before as Dr. Preston hath expressed it as above and yet many true Believers have little or no skill to make this distinct use of Christ's Offices but trust in the general That as God for Christ's sake doth forgive and take them into favour so that he will for Christ's sake also give them his Spirit and whatsoever is needful to fit them for his Kingdom Our Author takes the Minor for granted by us and offers no proof Argument 9. There is in the very nature of a Covenant p. 25. condition in general and of God's imposed condition in special enough to persuade that the benefit dependeth usually as much or more on some other act as on that which accepteth the benefit it self Ergò We have reason to judge that our Justification depends on some other act as on the acceptance of Justification Answ 1 The consequence if weak If usually Ergò always Therefore in this case this follows not To the Antecedent I deny the supposition 2dly viz. That we are justifyed by a proper strict Covenant condition The Promise of Life through believing is a Testament a Promise and but improperly a Covenant because it cannot be bestowed but upon a capable subject i. e. one that trusteth in it and accepteth of it So Dr. Preston expresly as before Assurance and sence of Pardon usually cometh upon our entring into or renewing a Covenant of Obedience but the right to Pardon and Justification which putteth us into a pardoned State is our humble accepting and trusting in thee Promise of life through Christ And in this God's Covenant or Promise of pardon in Christ differs from Mens Covenants 3dly in that they do usually depend upon conditious to be fulfilled because Men have no other way to prevent the abuse of their kindness or to oblige to duty and gratitude for the future but God that can and will sanctify the heart as well as give right to life and thereby prevent the abuse of his favour needeth not to suspend his mercy upon such engagements and conditions from the creature It is not unusual we have seen many publick instances of it in our days for men to pardon offenders by an absolute act of grace without imposing any conditions 4ly only leaving men to their own ingenuity for the future and to the Law if they offend again It is said p. 36. God is the principle end of his own Covenant and therefore his honour must be principally respected in it and therefore a promise of Obedience and subjection to him and to Christ as the procurer of life which men are most unwilling to must be the principal parts of the condition of the Covenant and the acceptance of Pardon which all men are willing to have can be but a part of the condition and the less principal part Answ Here it is plain That by the foregoing ambiguous discourse of believing in Christ as Prophet Priest and King was meant a promise of subjection to him in all his Offices not a trusting in him for the benefits of them and that Faith here is nothing but Universal Obedience to Christ and a trust in the promise of Pardon or in Christ as a Priest is no part of it nor can go before but must follow after it i. e. when we have promised and in part performed obedience to Christ then may we hope for pardon and not before To the Argument I say the consequence is weak many ways 1st Because God's own Honour is the principle End doth it follow that in order of execution he requireth the Creature immediatly and in his first acting toward him distinctly and principally to aim at his Honour Surely he alloweth and his Word tends to this That self-preservation from the wrath to come should first move the Creature to fly to his Mercy and then as hope of pardon dawneth love to God and his Honour springeth and as hope of pardon increaseth so love to God prevails above the consideration of self-preservation Again God hath had his greatest Honour from the obedience and satisfaction of Christ already before he granteth pardon to the Sinner and is it no honour to God to trust in his free Sovereign Grace for the pardon of Sin and Gift of eternal Life Rom. 4.21 Is it no honour to Christ to trust in him as able to save to the uttermost all that come unto him Surely this is the greatest Honour that can be done to the Grace of God Nor is it so easie a thing rightly to trust in free pardoning Mercy They that know themselves know it is the hardest thing in the world and it seemeth God accounteth it so too by