Grevinchovius ag Amesius But it is true they yeeld more who grant that he purchased the New Covenant Yet by this purchase they can not say that Christ died to redeem us from our sinnes from the wrath of God from a vaine conversation to save us And indeed the same person last named saith expresly that Christ died not properly to saye any one And what can else be said by such as make this the whole of what Christ did purchase And how-rational is that consequence which the same person hath when he saith it might so have come to passe that Christ had had the end of his death that no one had fulfilled the new Covenant had been saved for they will not grant that Christ did purchase faith 3. Hence we see that such as say that this was all which Christ procured by his Death Merites do manifestly spoile us of all the rich Benefites which Christ hath purchased as being no immediat fruites of his death such as Faith Justification Adoption Sanctification Grace Glory thus evacuat the whole vertue of the death of Christ And this do Mr. Allen's words p. 54. import while he saith that all the benefites of the Covenant accrue to us upon our beleeving obeying upon his account for his sake and so they do not accrue to us upon his account for his sake immediately but immediatly upon the account for the sake of our Beleeving Obeying only for Christ's sake is this connexion made 4. Who ever assert that Christ hath purchased the framing Constitution of this Covenant in its termes conditions ought to confirme this their assertion out of Scripture till this be done we are a liberty to deny it how confidently so ever it be affirmed It is certane that such a principal point ground article of our Religion would not be darkly expressed in the Scriptures far less wholly passed over in silence as for any thing that yet is made to appear it is for as for 1. Cor. 1 30. Ier. 23 6. which Mr. Allen citeth any may see how impertinent they are that we say no more 5. If so then we must say with Papists that Christ hath procured a worth to our Faith Obedience to merite ex pacto the good things promised unto such as are beleevers obedient Yea hereby there would be more of merite in our Faith then in Christ's obedience 6. We mnst say that Christ hath purchased that we might be Justified by an Imperfect Righteousness For sure our faith new Obedience is not perfect even when sincere they laboure of many Imperfections have drosse faultiness admixed As also that he hath purchased that an Imperfect Righteousness should be accounted estemed a perfect Righteousness consequently that the judgment of God shnuld not be according to truth which were blasphemeous iniquous to imagine 7. Thus in effect Christ should be made the minister of sin by changing the conditions of the old Law which were perfect compleet Obedience into an obedience far short of that thus he must be come either to dissolve the Obligation of the Law that it should not exact now what it did exact of old or to loose us from the Obligation thereof that we should be in part Law less neither of which can be asserted yet this Position maketh clear way for either or for both 8. Then we must say that Christ hath purchased such a way of Justification as leaveth ground to men to glory boast though not before God yet before men for hereby he is made to purchase the renewing of the old Covenant of works with some mitigation as to tht termes though with little mitigation as to the persons unless we say with these Arminians that Man is as able to beleeve obey sinâ—erely if he will as Adam was to obey perfectly But sure Christ came for a far other end than to leave man any ground of boaâ—ting or of glorying in himself for his Justification Salvation as having made himself to differ 9. Then Christ hath purchased a way whereby man might hold his Pardon Justification Adoption c. more of himself than of Christ for Christ by this way cannot be said to have purchased our Pardon Justification c. but only that we should have these favoures upon our Faith or have such such a reward of our Faith Obedience As he who procureth that a person shall have such a benefite upon condition he performe such a piece of service cannot be said to have procured that reward for notwithstanding of this procurement if it may be so called which is at best but a conditional uncertain thing the person might never have gote the reward 10. Then the making of the New Covenant and the making of it on these termes should be an act of meer Justice in God and not an act of his free Grace Love good Pleasure Will Kindness for it is Justice Righteousness in God to do that which Christ hath purchased procured to be done though it is true it may thus be accounted a meer favoure that it was of God's free will to enter into such termes of agreement with the Mediator to yeeld to the making of such a condition upon Christ's purchase But the Apostle tels us Ephes. 1 9. that God made known unto us â—he mysterie of his will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in himself Which mysterie of his will is the New Covenant dispensation of grace in the Gospel it is ascribed not to the merites of Christ but to God's good Pleasure to the Purpose which he purposed in himself So the saving of such as beleeve floweth from the love of God as well as no less then the sending of Christ Ioh. 3 16. God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son that every beleever in him should not perish but have everlasting life So Ephes. 3 9 10 11. the fellowshipe of the mysterie was hid in God the manifold wisdom of God which shineth forth in the New Covenant was according to the eternal Purpose which he had purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is ascribed to God's Love Ioh. 3 16. will Ioh. 6 40. 11. I grant it may be said that as Christ hath purchased to his own Pardon Justification Adoption Salvation so as a consequence of this he hath purposed the Meanes or rather the Application of the meanes thereunto that so the good things purchased may be actually conferred according to the manner methode condescended upon by Jehovah and the Mediator in the Coveuant of Redemption for He hath chosen us in himself having predestinat us unto the Adoption of children by Iesus Christ unto himself according to the good pleasure of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us acctpted in the beloved in whom we have redemption
even those who were purer in appearance pressing the moral duties practical doctrine of pietie I mean the followers of that famous Minister Mr. Richard Baxter did corrupt the true Doctrine of Justification because they adopted Universal Grace and Redemption For suspending such an Universal Redemption as Conditional upon the vertue of Faith taught that Justification is depending upon this vertue and consequently that a man by Faith as a vertue must be justified and because Repentance should be acknowledged as a Condition of eternal happiness beside the vertue of Faith therefore they imagine that Justification may be suspended even upon Repentance so that we must believe that Justification is not only by Faith but also by Repentance But O my Brethren ye are out of the way ye have left your first love Remember therefore from whence ye are fallen and repent and do the first works Remember the former dayes and years Remember your former Divines at the beginning of the Reformation Iuel Whitaker Perkins and other glorious stars once shining in your Countrey Remember the Apologie of your Church against that harlot of Rome written by that most excellent Divine J. Iuel B. of Salisbury approved of your Fathers Remember your Confession aggreeing with all the Confessions of Reformed Churches and confirmed in the dayes of Q. Elisabeth An. 1562. by a Synodical decree yea by the Parliament of your Kingdome Remember the former ages when the Doctrine of Anselme Bradwardine Archb. of Canterbury against Pelagianisme sounded obtained in your Churches Yea Bradwardine his book de Causa Dei opposed to the Cause of men defended by Pelagianisme printed first in this age An. 1616. in the dayes of King Iames who himself was a great Adversarie to Arminian tenets by the care and studie of George Abboth a worthy successour of that great Divine because he loved the Doctrine of Grace and could not endure that Arminian errours should infect the Church of England to that time depending onely upon the grace of our Saviour Jesus Christ. But what great iniquitie is it now to neglect this grace and leaving the principles of Protestant Religion to rely upon and trust to our own works for Salvation My Brethren how think ye to mingle the Law with the Gospel the Righteousness of Christ with your own your faith depending alone upon your Saviour with your works What will ye say when you wil dye this weighty case of Conscience comes to be resolved how shall my poor guiltie sinful Soul be justified before a Righteous God How can ye thus prepare the way to return and lead your followers back again unto Babylon What fellowship hath Righteousness with unrighteousness or what communion hath light with darkness Yet glory be to God in the highest who hath reserved by his grace many Protestant and Learned Divines against all these and the like errours And hence we have the learned Labours of the worthy J. BURGES J. OWEN A. PITCAIRN and other eminent Divines worthy to be remembered in all ages And to those great Doctours we may very warrantably add the worthy Author of the following Treatise Mr. JOHN BROUN whose praise liv's deservedly in the Churches and whose light did for a considerable space shine here in our Low-countreys when through the iniquitie of the times he was because of his zeal pietie faithfulness and good Conscience obliged to leave his native Land Yet was he not idle for while he was here he wrote with a great deal of wisdom against the Philosophers of this time who would subject the Scriptures to Philosophie setting up humane Reason for a Rule of Scripture-Interpretations Moreover he was known in our Churches by his Books of the Perpetual Moralitie of the Sabbath written with a great efficacie of Arguments and approved by Fr. Spanheym that worthy and most famous Divine of our age besides what other Treatises he wrote in English But we have here his work of Justification as a Posthumus full of Wisdom Doctrine and Pietie The Author had committed the care of it to his very intimate and dear acquaintance the Reverend and Learned Mr. JAMES KOELMAN who while he was alive had the care of it at the press but before the work was perfected he was called home to his Masters joy after he had faithfully served God in his generation And I being now desired to prefix the accustomed Ceremonie of an Epistle to this excellent book of Mr. JOHN BROUN I undertook it most cheerfully with all my heart For I must give Testimony to the Reverend Learned Author of this work that he wisely expounds the mysteries of Justification according to the Doctrine of the Gospel the principles oft he Reformed Churches that he confirms the expounded Doctrine with efficacious arguments able to stop the mouths of all Adversaries that he prudently dissolves all their vain oppositions that he shows himself a true Christian Minister and a Scribe well instructed by the Holy Spirit unto the Kingdom of God And therefore this excellent book was worthy to be printed to be esteemed and loved amongst the best Treatises upon this great and weighty Doctrine of Justification I need say no more the work will speak for it self and the Judicious Readers oun experience will testifie that it is written in the Demonstration of the Spirit Power profitable for Doctrine Reproof Correction Instruction in Righteousness and Consolation of penitent souls I pray the God of all grace that he would give the Readers the Spirit of Wisdom and of a sound mind that having the eyes of their understandings enlightened they may know what are the great mysteries of Redemption and may be sound in the Faith in order to this fundamental point of Justification here expounded and vindicated with this full persuasion of mind that the Reformed profession is the true way of Salvation able to save a sinner eternally according to the Covenant of Grace revealed in the Gospel MELCHIOR LEYDECKER S. S. Th. D. Prof. Dabam Ultraj. 1 Apr. 1695. P. S. Atque haec quidem ego Britonum Sermone ut potui Si quid commissum est culpae adversus linguae genium id condonandum Belgae est Conari imitari exterorum linguam eruditis haud vulgarem satis erat Interim si Latino Sermone uti licuisset pluribus Doctrinam Ecclesiae Reformatae de Gratia Justificatione explicuissem ut forte horum animum moverem qui prima Principia ipsius Euangelii a Paulo ad Romanos ad Galatas ad Ephesios demonstrata neglexerunt ac deseruerunt Nunc sufficiat ex Confessione Anglicana quosdam Articulos notasse in quos digitum Praefatione intendebam uti habentur in Corpore Syntagmate Confessionum fidei quae in diversis Regnis Nationibus Ecclesiarum nomine fuerunt Authenticè editae Haec enim ibi medium habet locum quod cum caeteris accurate conveniret Utinam tali haberetur hodie veneratione quali fuit habita antiquitus quando
Many such particular duties might here be mentioned but I shall only pointe at a few to which others may be reduced 1. Such as live this life of Gospel Justification should beware of intertaining thoughts of pride or of boasting of any thing they have freely and graciously received and particularly they should guard against boasting in this matter that they are preferred to others and brought out of a state of death when others are left yet to lye thereinto This whole matter is so contrived and so wisely framed that no ground of boasting either before God or man may be left unto Man but that every one may celebrate the praise of Free Grace Therefore Justification is not by works or by our obedience to the Law for then the justified man being justified upon the account of his own works or of the works of righteousness which he hath done should have ground of glorying though not before God yet before Men as having by his own sweating working doing obtained that which others by their laziness negligence not doing have come short of Paul tels us this expresly Rom. 4 2. If Abraham were justified by works he hath to glory but not before God and this is further confirmed vers 4. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt So that if Justification were by works Justification it self all the Consequences thereof should be due debt unto the worker and his reward and so as the hireling may boast of his labour when he gets his hire reward so the justified man if justification were by the works of the Law might boast of his own paines diligence as having received but his reward and that which was due to him of debt and not of grace But now that all mouthes may be stopped no flesh might glory or have ground of boasting in themselves and before others the Lord hath contrived a far other way of justification to wit by Faith alone whereby the Man goeth out of himself renunceth all his own Righteousness prosesseth himself poor naked miserable a plaine dyvour and utterly non-solvendo layeth hold on a compleet alsufficient Righteousness in Jesus Christ and so hath no ground of boasting or glorying even before men for it is nothing that is in him or that he doth that is that Righteousness upon the account of which he is Justified but only the Righteousness of Christ without him It is not his faith not his works nor his Righteousness but Christ's Righteousness is equally imputed to all beleevers to the weakest beleever as well as to the strongest and so the strongest beleever hath no ground of boasting before the weakest Where is boasting-then saith the Apostle Rom. 3 27. It is excluded by what Law Of works nay but by the Law of faith 2. Upon the other hand let all such glory in the Lord and in his free grace gracious workings Let them say when they reflect on this matter not unto us Lord not unto us but unto thee be glory seing the matter is so contrived as that all the justified may see that God may only have the glory of all that none ought to share with him that he alone should weare the crown all his glorified ones should most cheerfully cast their crownes down at his feet But of him saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 1 30 31. are ye in Christ Iesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification Redemption that according as it is written he that glorieth Let him glory in the Lord. Christ is made all things unto for his people they have all of God through him that no flesh should glory in his presence as it is said vers 29. Let all such therefore as are made partaker of this rich honourable Privilege comply sweetly cheerfully with this designe of God to have God alone exalted and the mouth of all flesh stopped that he who glorieth may alone glory in the Lord. 3. Let such as are thus advanced minde the great duty of holiness and of growing in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ The way of faith is not to make void the Law but it doth establish it Rom. 3 31. as Christ is made of God unto is Righteousness so is he made Sanctification As he is Priest to reconcile us to God and become Righteousness to us so is he a King to cause us walk in the Lord to subdue our spiritual enemies and so become Sanctification to us It is the language of the flesh of corruption to argue from this Change advancement unto a liberty to sinne Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound will the flesh object But the Apostle answereth Rom. 6 2. c. God forbid how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein It is repugnant to the nature of that state whereinto now they are broâ—ght to give way to sin Therefore the justified should minde what they are called to what new grounds new advantages new helps new encouragements they have unto holiness that they had not before all plainly fully set down by Paul Rom. 6. eise where 4. How should they commend cry up the free grace of God and that love that visited them when they were lying in their blood and no eye pityed them They were ungodly without strength yet Christ died for them Rom. 5 6. and the Lord did justifie the ungodly even them who had no righteousness of their owne nor nothing to commend them unto him Rom. 4 5. Yea where sin abounded grace did much more abound Rom. 5 20. Not only had they nothing more then others to commend them unto God but even they had less and â—et God through free grace set his Love upon the less worthy for saith Paul 1 Cor. 1 26 27 28. ye see your calling Brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise God hath chosen the weak things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen and things which are not to bring to naught things which are That no flesh should glory in his presence Should not the thoughts of this raise their wondering cause them speak to the commendation of the rich and free grace of God 5. Let such as are brought into this state of life wherein they have peace with God and are reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ carry as persones no more strangers unto him as forraigners but as now madenigh by the blood of Jesus therefore let such remember that through him they have an access by one Spirit unto the Farher being now fellow-citisens with the Saints and of the houshold of God Ephes. 2 13 14 18 19. Rom. 5 2. Therefore should improve this advantage both for their own good and for
Revelation of this mysterie so it cannot but be offensive to use such expressions as not only are not scriptural but also seem inconsistent with Scriptural expressions when the Scripture saith expresly frequently that we are Justified by faith and that in opposition to works and not only saith it but proveth it it cannot be justifiable in us to say that we are Justified by Love seing that would at least seem to crosse the Apostle's assertion the force whereof is as ours abundantly evince against the Papists that we are Justified only by Faith consequently by no other grace neither by Love nor by Hope nor by Patience c. 3. By the Scriptures telling us that we are Justified by Faith never saying that we are Justified by any other grace as by Love c. we are given to understand that Faith hath other Operations Uses Ends in the office of justification than Love or any other grace hath And therefore to insinuate that love hath the same Interest Office in about justification that Faith hath is to deny or overturn the proper specifick actings of Faith in order to justification And how small a matter soever this may appear to be at first yet when it is further prosecuted or the ground of this searched into or its designe tendency considered impartially it will befound of a deeper consequence to tend to the alteration of the whole specifick nature of the Covenant of Grace as it is distinct from the Covenant of Works for though both Faith Love may must be looked upon as acting upon the same object Christ yet when Faith is conceived as acting no other way than Love and both as potestative Conditions or as parts of one Potestative Condition and no other way it is plaine enough how the special actings of faith in compliance with the designe of God's Wisdom Grace and Love in the Gospel contrivance and thereupon in receiving resting upon Christ as the alone propitiating Sacrifice and on his Surety-Righteousness as that alone by vertue of which they are to expect Justification Acceptance with God to receive the Atonement are laid aside And the beleeving soul is supposed not to act on Christ nor apply Him his Righteousness in order to the being Acquit from the sentence of the Law from the Curse due for the breach of the same in that particular manner that both its case condition requireth and the Gospel pointeth forth and the experience of soul attaining hereby to Peace doth confirme 4. It is true there is Love to Christ in the soul that beleeveth and it must be so and it is true also that this Love is called for in the Gospel but hence it will not follow that Love is the Condition of Justification or that every thing that is present with or accompanieth faith in justification hath the same Life Ends and Interest in Justification or the same Influence thereupon that faith hath far less will it follow that that which followeth faith and whereby faith worketh through all the after-carriage of a Beleever hath the same Place Power and Interest in about justification that faith hath as we shewed above of Repentance 5. If by this Love nothing else were meaned but that Love of desire that necessarily accompanieth the souls accepting and closeing with what is good or offered as good sure it would have given no ground of offence to have called it so would have been more acceptable than to have called it otherwayes even though speaking strickly the Love of desire may be called Love and is a Love in its own kinde and therefore I judge that denomination might have been rather chosen which would have given no offence than the other which to avoide suspicion and offence calleth for so much waste of words to render the expression less noxious especially seing for all that is said in clearing of the same all ground of suspicion is not removed but that some other thing was intended than that meer Love of desire that is inseparable from the will 's earnest pursuite after or embraceing any good thing offered especiasly when it is said That Ioh. 16 27. 14 21. make Love the antecedent Condition of God's Love Christ's Love to the person And that that goeth with Remission and is a Love of Reconciliation and Reconciliation comprehendeth Remission At least you will never shew out of Scripture that the procureing God's Love and the Procuring Remission Reconciliation have not the same conditions for hereby it is manifest that Love even as distinct from faith as it is Ioh. 16 26 because ye have loved me have beleeved that I am come out from God is made as formal full a Condition of Reconciliation Pardon consequently of justification as faith his Yea that both faith Love are made Conditions procuring God's Pardon Reconciliation Thus speaketh Mr. Baxter against Mr. Cartwright pag. 202. But lest any should think that either of these places cited should prove what Mr. Baxter alledgeth them for it would be considered 1 That Ioh. 14 21. He is speaking of such as are already beleevers justified when he is speaking of such as have already Christ's commandemants keep them 2 He speaketh of the Fathers of his own Love of such in the future time which cannot be meaned in reference to his Disciples unless we think they were not yet justified contrary to the very forgoeing verse many other passages in that discourse particularly Chap. 14 1 15 3 4 5 9. 3 This is meaned of a Love of Manifestation as Christ's own words added exegetically declare And I will Love him will manifest my self to him 4 This same sort of expression of Love is also to be understood Ioh. 16. as the whole scope cleareth this being spoken to perswade them that they should receive the returne of their prayers should not ask the Father in vaine for such a Love carrieth he towards you as if he had said that in a manner I need not intercede for you 5 And so the Love of the disciples here mentioned is that Love of complacencie which they had in Christ in abiding still in his Company and delighting in him whom they had followed as their Master all alongs and the cause from whence this flowed is added and have beleeved that I came out from God As to the second particular to wit Purpose of obedience M. Baxter in his Aphorismes told us that as the accepting of Christ for Lord which is the hearts Subjection is as essential a part of justifying faith as the accepting him for Saviour So consequently sincere obedience which is the effect of the former hath as much to do in justifying us before God as some Affiance which is the fruit of the latter Hereby he would seem to give the same Interest unto actual Obedience in Justification that he giveth unto Affiance which cannot be
that Iames standeth for that he accounteth undeniable by any thing but prejudice Ignorance siding peevishness So that it must be unquestionable that Iames speaketh of all those particulars that he speaketh of justification by works in no other sense the contrary whereof we have seen already Yet let us see what these particular respects are wherein as he saith works are not excluded from being Conditions of our justification or the matter of it 1. Saith he That faith itself which is our act an act of obedience to God is the fiducial accepting beleefe in God the Father Son Holy Ghost for the benefites of the Covenant is the Condition of our first Cevenant-Right to these benefites Ans. To speak of Saving Faith in its full latitude or of that faith whereby the Covenant is fiâ—st made up as such is not to the present purpose but of faith only or of its acting in order to justification and as to this himself lately told us that Paul by the word Faith doth especially direct our thoughts to Christ beleeved in so that faith in this matter is not considered as our work or as an act of obedience in us as our personal Righteousness but as the Mean Hand or Instrument laying hold on Christ his Righteousness And if this be the meaning of Iames when he saith we are justified by works that we are justified by faith we shall not contend as to the thing though we conceive Iames handleth another purpose as is said 2. Saith he That this faith is not actual obedience to Christ as Christ at first but only to God as God But it is the souls subjection to Christ as Christ which is our Covenant-consent to our future obedience virtually though not actually containeth our future obedience in it Ans. This upon the matter is but the same with the former needeth no furder answere as to our present question concerning the meaning of Iames when he saith we are justified by works for if this faith be not actual obedience Iames doth not mean actual obedience by the word works but only that Faith which is a consent to future obedience But what the Faith is whereby we are justified what is its peculiar acting in order to justification we have shown elsewhere And to distinguish betwixt obedience to Christ as Christ and to God as God is to be unnecessarily critical by Mr. Baxeer we see that all the after obedience of beleevers is obedience to God as God though their first Faith be said to be a fiducial accepting beleefe in God the Father Son Holy Ghost and this be said virtually to containe after obedience which therefore must be obedience to God Father Son Holy Ghost And their first Faith is no obedience to Christ as Christ though Christ as Christ call invite yea command sinners to come unto him beleeve in him 3. He saith That there is somewhat of Love Consent or willingness of Desire of Hop of Repentance which goeth to make up this Moral work of Faith as it is the Condition even our first Christianity itself Ans. All this somewhat of Love Consent c. which necessarily attendeth Faith for that they make up this moral work of Faith as integral parts thereof I see no ground to assert only shew the true nature genius of that Faith whereby we are justified for it is no where said that we are justified by Love Hop or Repentance as for Consent or willingness desire they are included in Faith But all this yet saith nothing for the Interest of Works as it is pleaded in our justification And if Iames mean no other thing by works he shall give little ground to any to assert justification by works as is done this day by too many 4. He saith That at the making of a Covenant is for the performing of it subjection is for obedience Marriag for conjugal duties so our said first Covenanting-faith is for our future faith Hop Comfort grateful obedience Holiness And these are the secondary parts of the Condition of Salvation And so are the secondary parts of our justifications Condition as continued or not lost consummat For to justifie us is to justifie our Right to Impunity Glory Ans. How different Faith as justifying or in its acting in order to justification is from this Covenant making Subjection Marriage as explained applied to this purpose by Mr. Baxter is elsewhere showne 2 That these graces are required in order to Salvation we grant shall not stand to call them secondary parts of the Condition of Salvation as to its possession But 3 we are here speaking of justification and not of Salvation which two differ as we conceive much more being required to the one in case persons live after their first Faith than to the other 4 We have shown elsewhere that justification as continued hath the same Conditions that justification as begun hath of loseing of justification we read not in the Scriptures nor yet consummat justification these are Mr. Baxters new Notions with which we are not satisfied 5 Our Right to Impunity Glory is had by Christ alone when we are possessed of his Surety-Righteousness through Faith and thus are justified by Faith And how justification is a justification of that Right Mr. Baxter would do well to explaine In the last place he saith That our own performance of the Condition of the free Gift of Impunity Glory by the New Covenant purchased by Christ's Righteousness is the thing to be tried judged in God's judgment And therefore we must so far be then justified from the charge of not performing that Condition of being Infidels unsanctified Impenitent hypocrites Apostats so of having no part in Christ the free gift even by our personal Evangelical Faith Holiness Repentance Sincerity Perseverance Ans. Then it seemeth Iames speaketh only of works in order to final Salvation or our justification at the day of judgment and not in order to our justification here when first brought out of nature into the State of Grace And if so what ground can any hence have to inferre our present justification to be by works unless they think that whatever is required antecedent unto our Final Salvation is required also antecedent to our first justification which I know Mr. Baxter will not say And if this be all that Iames saith why did not Mr. Baxter give this as a ground of reconciling Iames with Paul that Iames speaks of works in order to Final Salvation but Paul excludeth them in reference to justification This would have had greater agreement with what the Orthodox say than to tell us of works being the secondary parts of the Condition of our Justification and that Iames includeth them as such when he saith we are justified by works and not by Faith only CHAP. IX John Forbes his Arguments against the Imputation of Christ's
quidem pro nobis Patrem in quem peccaveramus nostram inobedientiam Consolatus nobis autem donans eam quae est ad Factorem nostrum Conversationem Subjectionem i. e. The Lord brought us into friend shipe by his Incarnation being made a Mediator betwixt God Man Propitiating the Father for us against whom we sinned comforting us over our disobedience but freely giving us that Conversation Subjection which is to our Maker Athanasius Tom. 2. p. 270. Necessarium est maximeque necessarium â—reâ—dere Scripturis Sanctis confiteri ex nostro genere primitias celebrare singularemâ— assumentis in genus humanum amorem obstu pescere magnâ oeconomiae atque dispo sitionis miraculum non timere execrationem legis Christus enim nos a maledictione legis liberavit impletionem legis a primitiis factam toti massae asscribere imputare in the Greek it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. It is necessary yea most necessary to beleeve the holy Scriptures to confesse the first fruits i. e. Christ of our kind to celebrat that singular love of him that assumed viz. Mans Nature unto mankind to be astonished at that miracle of the great Oeconomie disposition not to feare the Curse of the Law for Christ hath delivered us from the Curse of the Law ascribe or impute the fulfilling of the Law done by the first fruits unto the whole masse The same Author de Incarn Verbi contra Samosat Tom. 1. p. 461. Impossibile est puritatem innoeentiam in humana natura exhiberi nisi Deus credatur in carne esse qui justitiam omni peccato liberam in mundum introduxit cujus quia participes redditi sumus vivemus salvabimur Illud enim non est justus in terra qui bonum faciat non peccet in commune ad omnes homines pertinet unde ex coelo descendit qui immaculatam ex se justitiam daturus erat i. e. It is impossible that purity innocency shall be exhibited in mans nature unless we beleeve that God is in the flesh who hath brought into the world a Righteousness free of all sin of which because we are made partakers we shall live be saved for that there is not a just man upon earth who doth good sinneth not doth appertaine to all men in common wherefore he descended from heaven who was to give a pure Righteousness of himself Chrysost. When a Cavilling jew shall object how can the world be saved by the Rectitude or Obedience of one Christ Answere him againe by asking how came the world to be condemned by the disobedience of one Adam Greg. Nyssen Orat. 2. iu Cantic Christus in se transtatis peccatorum meorum sordibus puritatem suam mecum communicavit meque pulchritudinis ejus quae in ipso est participem fecit i. e. Christ having translated the filth of my fins upon himself did communicat unto me his own purity made me a partaker of that beauty which is in him By these we may see that even before Augustins dayes this Truth was asserted though Mr. Baxter in his book against D. Tully Ch. 1. § 3. intimate the contrary Cyrillus Alexandr in Ioan. lib. 11. c. 25. Quemadmodum praevaricatione primihominis ut in primitiis generis nostri morti addicti sumus eodem modo per obedientâ—am justitiam Christi in 〈◊〉 seipsum legi subjecâ— quamvis legis Author esset benedictio atque vivificatio quae per Spiritum est ad totam nostram penetravit naturam i. e. As by the transgression of the first man as in the first fruits of our kind we are adjudged unto death so the same way by the Obedience Righteousness of Christ in as much as he subjected himself to the Law though he was the Author of the Law the blessing Vivification which is by the Spirit did reach to our whole Nature Leo Epist. 72. ad Iuvenalem Ut autem repararet omnium vitam recepit omnium causam vim veteris chirographi pro omnibus solvendo vacuavit ut sicut per unius reatum omnes facti fâ—erant peccatores ita per unius innocentiam omnes fierent innocentes inde in homines manante justitia ubi est humana suscepta Natura i. e. But that he might repaire the life of all he undertook the cause of all paying for all made void the force of the Old obligation to the end that as by one mans guilt all were made sinners so by one mans innocency all might become innocent Righteousness coming unto men thence where the humane Nature is taken on August ad Laurent Cap. 41. Ipse peccatum ut nos justitia nec nostra sed Dei sumus nee in nobis sed in ipso sicut ipse peccatum non suum sed nostrum nec in se sed in nobis constitutum similitudine peccati in qua crucifixus est demonstravit i. e. He was sin as we were Righteousness not our own but of God not in ourselves but in him as he did demonstrat himself to be sin not his own but ours not in himself but in us by the similitude of sinfull flesh in which he was crucified Idem in Psal. 30. Cone 1. in tua justitia erue me exime me quia non invenisti in me justitiam meam erue me in tua hoc est illud quod me eruit quod me justificat quod ex impio pium facit quod ex iniquo justum i. e. Deliver me in thy Righteousness Because thou didst not finde my Righteousness in me deliver me in thine that is it which delivereth me which justifieth me that maketh me of ungodly godly of unrighteous Righteous Id. in Psal. 70. Erue me in justitia tua non in mea sed in tua si enim in mea erâ— exillis de quibus ille ait ignorantes Dei justitiam suam volentes constituere justitiae Dei non sunt subjecti i. e. Deliver me in thy Righteousness Not in mine but in thine for if in mine I should be of them of whom he saith being ignorant of God's Righteousness willing to establish their own they did not subject themselves unto the Righteousness of God Id. Tom. 9. Tract 3. in Ioan. Omnes qui ex Adamo cum peccato peccatores omnes qui per Christum justificati justi non in se sed in illo nam in se si interroges Adam sunt in illo si interroges Christi sunt i. e. All that are of Adam with sin are sinners all who are justified by Christ are Righteous not in themselves but in him for if you ask what they are in themselves they are Adam's if you ask what they are in him they are Christ's Bernard Serm. 61. in Cantic Nunquid justitias meas Domine memorabor justitiae tuae solius Ipsa est enim mea nempe factus es mihi tu justitia a Deo Nunquid verendum ne non una duobus
1. Cor. 15 3. Christ died for our sinnes 1. Pet. 2 24. who his owne self bear our sinnes in his own body on the tree by whose stripes we are healed How can we then imagine that all this was a meer may be seing he was so bruised for our iniquities so died for our sins so bear our sinnes in his own body as that thereby all in whose room he stood are healed by his stripes The Apostle doth moreover fully clear this matter Rom. 5 6. Christ died for the ungodly was this for all Or was it to have an uncertaine End effect No vers 9. much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him The ungodly and the sinners for whom he died are such as become justified by his blood shall at length be fully saved from wrath And againe vers 10. for if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life Upon his death followeth Reconciliation with God then Salvation and his death is for no more than his life is for By him also they receive an atonement vers 11. As the consequences effects of Adam's sin did Certainly and not by a may be redownd to all that he represented engadged for so the fruites effects of Christ's death do as certainly come unto such as are his as the Apostle cleareth in the following verses laying the advantage on the side of Christ his vers 15. much more the Grace of God and the gift by grace by one man Iesus Christ hath abounded unto many vers 16. but the free gift is of many offences unto justification vers 17. much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the Gift of Righteousness shall reigne in life by one Iesus Christ vers 18. even so by the Righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life vers 19. so by the obedience of one shall many be made Righteous vers 21. so might grace reigne through Righteousness unto eternal life by Iesus Christ our Lord. Is all this a Common thing and a meer may be or Possibility Ioh. 10 11. he giveth his life for his sheep vers 15. But may they for all that perish No in no wise vers 28. and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish He came that they might have life and might have it more abundantly vers 10. To the same purpose he saith Ioh. 6 33. that he giveth life unto the world not such a life sure as may never quicken any Upon Christ's death doth the Apostle inferre Rom. 8 32. that the Elect shall have all things vers 33 34 35. that they are free from all Accusations or any Hazard therefrom being justified and having Christs Death Resurrection and Intercession to secure them at all hands thereupon they have assurance that nothing shall separate them from the love of God Act. 20 28. Christ hath purchased a Church with his own blood The whole world is not this Church nor is this purchase an uncertane may be And all this Real Certaine Effect of Christ's death was foretold by Daniel Chap. 9 24 to finish the transgresion and to make an end of sins and to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting Righteousness c. And who can imagine that this is Universal or Uncertane If we will 7. Consider some other Ends of the death of Christ which the Scripture pointeth forth which are not to be found among Heathens or any except the few Chosen ones Ordained to life we shall see how unreasonable the Adversaries are Gal. 4 5. Christ died to redeem them that were under the Law that we might receive the adoption of sones Was this end fruit left at an Uncertanty Shall we thinks that Christ might have died yet one man receive this Adoption Was this Adoption purchased upon an uncertain Condition Or was this purchased equally for all Then such as received it might have thanked their owne well natured Freewill upon that account But let us consider some other fruits Gal. 1 4. who gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world So 1. Pet. 2 24. He bear our sins in his own body on the tree but for what end That we being dead to sin should live unto Righteousness Chap. 3 18. Christ suffered for sins the just for the unjust To what end and purpose To bring us to God Heb. 10 10. by the which will we are sanctified How came this to passe Through the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once for all So he suffered without the gate that he might sanctify the people Chap. 13 12. Revel 1 5 6. he loved us and washed us from our sins in his owne blood But was this all No it is added And hath made us Kings Priests unto God and his Father So Ch. 5 9 10. thou was â—tain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood and what more And hast made us unto our God Kings Priests c. So 2. Cor. 5 15. He died for all But for what end and purpose That they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves but unto him which died for them and rose againe See Col. 1 22. These the like passages do clearly pointe forth a special end of Christ's Death which was designed both by the Father that sent him by himself and shall we suppose that this great chiefe designe was made to hang upon the lubrick uncertain will of man Shall Christ be beholden to mans good will for the purchase he made at so dear a rate If not why are not all these ends attained in all for whom he died Did Christ fail in laying down the Ransome Or doth not the Father keep condition Who can say either of these Then surely there can be no reason to say that Christ made an uncertain bargain purchased only a Possibility of these fruites which he knew not if ever he should attaine in any one Nor to say that he died for all Let us further 8. take notice That for whom Christ died he died to take away their sins And that so as they may be fully Pardoned never brought on reckoning againe that is that they be Remitted Pardoned and that the poor sinner may not suffer therefore This sure must be the import of that prayer forgive us our trespasses If then Christ by his death hath taken away sin and purged it away making satisfaction to justice therefore how can we think that justice can punish the sinner in hell fire for these same sinnes But let us see what the Scripture saith 1. Ioh. 3 5. he was manifested to take away our sins Ephes. 1 7. we have redemption in his blood what Redemption forgiveness of sins according to the riches of