the Gospel Rom. 1.5 In this sence Faith and Works are opposed in St. Paul's Epistles the Dispute in the Epistle to the Romans is Whether we must be justified by the Law of Moses or by the faith of Christ that is whether the observation of all the external Rites and Ceremonies and an external Conformity of our Actions to the moral Precepts of it will justify a man before God or that sincere universal Obedience which the Gospel of Christ requires which transformes our Minds into the likeness of God and makes us new creatures And that this Righteousness of Faith and this alone can recommend us to God the Apostle proves from the Example of Abraham in the 4. Chapter who was accounted righteous for the sake of his sincere and stedfast belief of Gods Promises vers 3. Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness And this while he was uncircumcised which is a convincing argument against the Jews that Circumciston and the observation of the Law of Moses is not necessary to justification because Abraham the Father of the faithful and pattern for our justification was justified without it The Righteousness of God Answer is the Righteousness of Christ And this is called the Righteousness of God because he accepts it and imputes it to us And a Righteousness through the Faith of Christ because Faith receives it The Righteousness of God is not Faith it self but a righteousness through the faith of Christ Phil. 3.9 Faith I confess is sometimes put for the Gospel but the question is not what it is in other places but what in those which speak of the Righteousness of God Mark that place Rom. 1.17 therein that is in the Gospel is the righteousness of God reveiled from faith to faith Here Faith is not put for the Gospel for then the Righteousness of God should be reveiled from Gospel to Gospel Nay here we have the Gospel the Righteousness of God and Faith all set down as distinct things And in other Scriptures we have the Grace of Faith mentioned with the Righteousness of God because Faith receives that Righteousness The Moral Law of Moses required not only external conformity but internal Sanctity and that in all perfection the Apostle in the fourth Chapter to the Romans excludes not only external observations but the works of converted Abraham from justification Faith is accounted for Righteousness not properly absolutely in it self but relatively with respect to its object Jesus Christ as I have before proved Abrahams faith was not a faith in Christ Mr. Sherlock but Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for Righeousness Christ indeed was the material Object of Abrahams Faith that is he believed that promise which God made of sending Christ into the world upon which account our Saviour tells the Jews Your father Abraham rejoyed to see my day and he saw it and was glad Joh. 8.56 But no man could believe in Christ till he came that is could not believe any thing upon his Authority which is the true Notion of believing in him Some men make work with Abraham 's Faith as if it were a fiducial reliance or recumbency on Christ for Salvation upon which the Righteousness of Christ apprehended by Faith was imputed to him But how should Abraham learn this great Mystery from that general and obscure promise In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed which is all that was ever reveiled to Abraham concerning Christ this is such a train of thoughts from In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed to the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness as Mr. Hobs himself could never have hit on Is there no possible way for God to bless the world but by imputation of Christ's Righteousness Or is there a natural connexion between this blessing and imputed Righteousness that we cannot understand the one without the other before Abraham could come to the knowledge of imputed Righteousness he must distinctly know first that the blessings here meant are spiritual pardon and eternal life The whole Jewish Nation for many ages who had more promises concering Christ than this was expected only a temporal Prince and therefore they were prejudiced at the mean appearance of Christ. Secondly That Christ was to dye for the sins of the World And this the Apostles themselves did not understand till after Christ's Resurrection Thirdly That he fulfilled all Righteousness for us Fourthly That great mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God without which it is impossible to understand the vertue of his Sacrifice and Righteousness Fifthly That intimate oneness and conjunction between Christ and his Church which is a riddle not understood to this day Sixthly The Nature of Faith rolling the soul on Christ for Salvation and then possibly he might understand this great mystery of imputed Righteousness and all this must be learned from that general promise In thy seed shall all Nations be blessed Abraham believed the promise of the Messiah Answer but his Faith was not a Faith in Christ Why so no man could believe in Christ till he came that is he could not believe upon his Authority But surely Christ was a Prophet under the Old Testament his Spirit and surely then his Authority too was in the Prophets 1 Pet. 1.11 And so it was in the Promise to Abraham Besides true Faith in Scripture imports a reliance or fiducial recumbency so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Old Testament signifies and to these as Dr. Ward proves by many parailels answers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the new where also we often find that phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is a phrase totally the holy Spirits found in no humane Author I mean not for the Object but the form of speaking 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is not any where but in Scripture as Dr. Ward observes which surely must import a reliance or fiducial recumbency According to this notion of Faith I conceive Abraham rested on or trusted in the Messiah for Salvation he being the Messiah he could not but expect some great thing from him and what was it Temporals or Spirituals Surely not Temporals his Faith was gone beyond the Line of this World even as far as the City which hath foundations in another Heb. 11.10 And how did he think to come thither but by the Messiah He did not speak to God Gen. 18. trusting in his own righteousness But in the lowest posture of humility much less did he think to enter Heaven upon the account of his own worthiness he was a man of great Faith and the Father of the faithful The Promises of the Messiah were Spiritual Ones The seed of the woman shall break the serpents head Gen. 3.15 that is Christ should dissolve the works of the Devil and erect his own Kingdom of Grace and Glory In thy seed shall all nations be blessed
one thing from another in a wonderful manner as thus Christ is lovely that is as Mr. Watson hath it he is lovely in his Titles being the desire of all nations the Prince of Peace the holy one lovely in his Types typified by Moses David Solomon who were lovely persons and typified by lovely things as the Pillar of Cloud the Manna the Mercy-seat brazen Serpent and Noah's Ark Who can forbear being smitten with so lovely a Person Besides all these Christ is resembled to the Rose of Sharon the Queen of Flowers to a Vine the noblest of Plants to a Corner-stone a Rock a rich Treasure a beautiful Robe and all these are lovely and so should any thing have been that had come in his way at that time thus Christ is altogether lovely The Author tells us Answer pag. 75. That he had done enough to expose these men to scorn Yet we have here a very long Harangue serving to very little use unless that ill one which I presume the Author never intended to gratifie that ugly scoffing humour at Religion which runs about the prophane world God himself by using similitudes hath sanctified them to us the Song of Solomon is an entire Allegory full of sacred mysteries the writings of the ancient Fathers are in a great measure like pieces of Arras or Tapestry beautified with Allegorical Flowers and Images of Divine things to give a little tast S. Cyril of Alexandria saith Comment in Aron That Christ is inserted into us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 As if he were the Diamond of the heart S. Hilary tells us That Christ is Margarita quia nihil illo pretiosius invenitur Thesaurus ut in ipso omnes divitiae regnorum coelestium reconditae agnoscantur De Patris Filiunitate all riches and pretionsness being in him S. Austin touching Manna saith Panem Angelorum manducavit homo Tract 13. in Johan quis est panis Angelorum In principio erat verbum quomodo manducavit homo Verbum caro factum est habitavit in nobis And in another place De Coelo Manna veniebat that is in Mr. Watson's phrase De â—tilit Poenitent It was meat dressed in Heaven attende quem figurabat ego sum inquit panis vivus qui de Coelo descendi For the Rock let S. Ambrose come in Christus petra dicitur De fide centra Ar. cap. 6. quia credentibus fortitudinem incredulis duritiem praestat that is in Mr. Watson's language A Rock for defence and a Rock for offence and for the Honey in the Rock our Church thinks it no disparagement to say 1. Hom. of the Sacrament That from this Rock we may suck the sweetness of everlasting Salvation As for the brazen Serpent let us hear Theophylact Vide figuram confer cum veritate illic Serpentis similitudo Comment in Joh. 3. formam habet bestiae venenum non habet that is in Mr. Watson's words It was like a Serpent but no real one Ita ex hoc loco homo Dominus sed à peccati veneno liber in similitudine carnis peccati venit that is in Mr. Watson's words Christ was in the likeness of sinful flesh but no sinner Tunc videntesevadebant mortem corporis nunc autem qui vident mortem animae that is in Mr. Watson's words The Serpent was lifted up to be looked on and so was Christ to be fiducially looked on Touching the Vine I must make bold to vouch in St. Bernard who not seeing all things never dream'd such things should be ridiculous he brings in Christ speaking thus De Coena Dom. Ser. 10. Ego sum vitis dans botrum dulcissimum cunctis palmitibus that is in Mr. Watson I give the sap of Grace to all believers Generans vinum quod laetificat cor hominis that is in Mr. Watson My Blood is the Wine which chears Man's heart And a little after Christus est vitis in quo est totus humor id est omnis plenitudo Spiritùs sancti The divine Spirit fills or as Mr. Watson saith supports his Humane nature And now I might bring the same Author for the Rose of Sharon and other things but this may suffice to shew that Mr. Watson's words may carry a fair Sence before a candid Interpreter The Author might have made no less pretty sport with those ancient Fathers those excellent devout Souls who spiritualize every thing and reduce every thing to the great Center of Scripture Jesus Christ I shall only add on Mr. Watson's behalf that he never thought that Christ the Manna should be accommodated to Mens Fancy nor imagined the Church unplanted by Christ neither did he dream that his Discourses of Christ's Loveliness should be traduced into carnal Expressions such as that Who would not be smitten with such an one To what the Author adds as his own imitation of these Men being no other than the playing of his Fancy with it self I shall return just nothing as seeing nothing considerable therein When this will not do Mr Sherlock they argue from their own preconceived Notions and pretend to prove their own Scheme from Scripture but in truth prove the sence of Scripture by its agreement with their Opinions which is just such a trick as the Papists have got to prove the Church from Scripture and the Scripture from the Church Thus after all their talk of being justified by the Imputation of Christs Righteousness the Scripture tells us that we are justified by Faith have remission by Faith have peace with God by Faith are sanctified by Faith are the sons of God by Faith are saved by Faith Now how is this reconcilable with being justified by imputed Righteousness Why thus Faith doth not justifie absolutely as Faith but relatively as it brings us to Christ and apprehends his Righteousness This is their own preconceived opinion or else no man could have stumbled on this Distinction But their Reason is plain Should Faith justifie as Faith as our own Act it would be as bad as good Works and irreconcilable with the Grace of God though modest men dream not of meriting though Faith had justified as our Act since the Reward doth so infinitely exceed the Work that there can be no suspicion of Merit and where there is no Merit the Reward is of Grace I shall at present wave Answer who symbolizes most with the Papists and how Justification Sanctification Adoption and Salvation are here jumbled together as if they were one thing The General Charge having had so many I say nothing to but I come to the Instance The Scripture saith that we are justified by Faith very well but what by Faith exclusively of its Object Christ's Blood and Righteousness No surely then the Scripture which tells us That we are justified by Faith in his blood Rom. 3.25 and made righteous by his obedience Rom. 5.19 must contradict it self or what exclusively to the imputation of these No
of God in this place Thus 2 Cor. 5.21 He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him The Apostle doth not speak of a Righteousness in our selves but in him not of a Righteousness inherent but imputed Christ's Righteousness is made ours as our sins were made his and that is only by Imputation St. Austin pithily expresses it Ipse ergo peccatum Enchirid cap. 41. ut nos justitia nec nostra sed Dei simus nec in nobis sed in ipso sicut ipse peccatum non suum sed nostrum nec in se sed in nobis constitutum similitudine carnis peccati in qua crucifixus est demonstravit Thus Phil. 3.9 That I may be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith By the Righteousness which is of God cannot here be meant inherent Graces those words that I may be found in him have a tacit relation to the Judgment of God and before that Tribunal no Saint on earth can can stand in his own Righteousness Job could not If I justifie my self my own mouth shall condemn me Job 9.20 David could not Enter not into judgment with thy servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified Psal 143.2 Danicl could not O Lord righteousness belongeth unto thee but unto us confusion of faces The Righteousness which is of God is not the same with inherent Graces which because inherent are our own and so stiled in Scripture neither is it the same with Faith it self The Apostle saith not that it is Faith but that it is a Righteousness through the Faith of Christ a righteousness of God by faith It is therefore no other than Christ's Righteousness which Faith receives and God imputes But there is one place behind which in terminis calls the Righteousness of God the Righteousness of Christ 2 Pet. 1.1 To them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ Observe it is not through the Righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God and of our Saviour Christ as noting two Persons but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God and our Saviour as betokening one as Reverend Bishop Downham hath observed like that Tit. 2.13 The glorious appearance of the great God and our Saviour where one Person is intended Hence it appears that the Righteousness of God is the Righteousness of Christ who is God Neither can inherent Graces be here meant for Faith the first Radical Grace of all is said to to be obtained through this Righteousness Thus far it appears that the Righteousness of God is the Righteousness of Christ Now it is evident that this Righteousness is imputed to us or else it could never arrive at those glorious Effects which are ascribed to it how should it profit us unless it were applied and become ours Or how should it become ours but by Imputation Being the Righteousness of another it cannot be ours subjectively and inherently and if it at all become ours it must be so by Imputation Without the first fundamental Imputation it could not render us justisiable or savable any more than it doth render Devils so without the after particular Imputation it cannot justifie or save us Unless this Righteousness be imputed it cannot save or avert God's wrath Rom. 1. It cannot be upon the Believer to justifie him Rom. 3. It cannot be the end of the Law for Righteousness to him Rom. 10. We cannot be made the Righteousness of God in Christ 2 Cor. 5. We cannot have the Righteousness of God to make us stand before God's Tribunal Phil. 3. The virtue of all depends upon Imputation Thus much touching that excellent Phrase The Righteousness of God so often mentioned in Scripture I now proceed to other Scriptures To him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted for righteousness Rom. 4.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is reckoned or imputed for Righteousness Now is Faith taken here properly absolutely in it self or is it taken relatively with respect to its Object the Righteousness of Christ Properly absolutely in it self it is a Work the Apostle opposes believing to working ver 5. and speaks of a Righteousness without Works ver 6. Faith therefore is not here taken absolutely for so Faith is a Work and believing working Faith absolutely taken is our own hence we meet with those Phrases Thy faith and My faith Jam. 2.18 But that which justifies us is not our own but the Righteousness of God the Righteousness which justifies is through Faith Phil. 3.9 and not Faith it self Faith is the hypostasis of things hoped for Heb. 11.1 but the justifying Righteousness is not the hypostasis but the very thing hoped for We by faith wait for the hope of righteousness Gal. 5.5 That Righteousness which justifies us is the Righteousness which is imputed to us but we are justified by Christ's blood Rom. 5.9 we are made righteous by his obedience Rom. 5.19 these therefore are imputed to us for Righteousness It is not Faith in it self is our Righteousness but its Object the Blood and Obedience of Christ Another famous place we have Rom. 5. there Adam and Christ are set forth as two Roots Adam conveying to the Branches naturally in him Sin and Death and Christ conveying to the Branches spiritually in him Righteousness and Life As by the offence of one judgment came upon all to condemnation so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous ver 18 19. Here the Apostle speaks of Justification Justification of Life is opposed to condemnation Christ's Righteousness is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it hath a virtue in it to justifie others and is opposed to Adam's Transgression which had a power to involve others in condemnation By the obedience of Christ we are made or as the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implies constituted righteous And how can Christ's Obedience being not inherent in us make us righteous This I confess is above Philosophy but the Apostle clears it Adam's Transgression was not inherently ours yet was it imputed to us to Condemnation in the same manner Christ's Obedience is not inherently ours yet was it imputed to us to Justification of Life Hence St. Bernard expostulates thus Cur non aliunde justitia Epist 190. cùm aliunde reatus Alius qui peccatorem constituit alius qui justificat à peccato An peccatum in semine peccatoris non justitia in Christi sanguine And indeed it would be very strange that Adam's Sin should be imputed to us as the Church hath ever acknowledged against Pelagians and yet Christs
Gen. 22.18 That is with all spiritual and eternal blessings in Christ It is not imaginable that God should suffer the Faith of so great a Believer as Abraham to hang in the thickets of carnal things when he had such spiritual Promises before his eyes our Saviour saith Abraham saw his day and rejoyced Joh. 8.56 He saw the day of his Incarnation and as some the day of his Passion How far God carried the eyes of his Faith I know not however he saw so much as put him into those joys and triumphs of Faith which pointed beyond this World to that Salvation which is the end and center of Faith To me it suffices to say that Abraham rested upon Christ for Salvation and then Christ's Righteousness though unknown to Abraham was imputed to him The Author saith That from in thy seed shall all nations be blessed to imputed righteousness is a train of thoughts beyond Mr. Hobs and yet Abraham discerning the Messiah in that Promise it may be absolved in two short words that the Messiah shall merit Spiritual Blessings for us and that that merit shall be applyed to us there being no other way of applying of what is anothers but by Faith on our part and Imputation on Gods The Author ask's the question Is there no possible way for God to bless the world but by imputed Righteousness I answer had not Christ dyed for us which involves an imputation nothing of blessing could have been expected the wrath of God would no more have spared us than it did lapsed Angels The Jews about Christ's coming thought only of a temporal Messiah the very Apostles for a time thought not of Christ's death but this was because they then lived in the dregs and darkness of the Jewish Church I suppose in former ages the Jews had another manner of Prospect of Christ and above others Abraham whose Faith stands in Scripture with a more than ordinary crown on it probably had so Now if you would know what the Faith of Abraham and if all good men in ancient times was Mr. Sherlock the Apostle to the Hebrews gives us a full account of it Heb. 11. that he discourses there of a justifying Faith that is such a Faith as renders men approved of God and which he will count for Highteousness appears from the tenour of this Chapter in the second verse he tells us That by this the elders obtained a good report that is the Fathers were approved and rewarded by God for the sake of this Faith as he shews particularly That Abel obtained witness that he was righteous ver 4. That Enoch had the testimony that he pleased God ver 5. That Noah became heir of righteousness which is by Faith ver 7. Now this justifying Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A firm and confident expectation of those things hoped for and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an argument of the being of those things which we do not see Faith is such a firm and stedfast perswasion of the truth of those things which are not evident to sense as makes us confidently hope for them the object of Faith must be unseen things and the nature of it consists in such a firm assent to those unseen things as produces some answerable effects in our lives This is the general notion of Faith by which the elders obtained a good report Faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen Answer Heb. 11. This saith Erasmus is encomium fidei rather than definitio Dialectica However be it that justifying Faith is here meant Christ the marrow and center of the Covenant must be included in it Faith is the substance of things hoped for that is hoped for by vertue of the Promises and in a special signal way by vertue of the prime fundamental promise touching the Messiah which as we see Gen. 3.15 was delivered to Adam as an heavenly treasure more worth than a world and by him was no doubt handed down to his posterity not meerly in the bare words and letters of it for that protevangelium or first Promise of the Gospel was ministerium spiritûs but with such Divine Commentaries upon it as the illuminating spirit was pleased to give in to the heart of believing Adam Faith such is its excellent nature presentiates and makes to subsist the good things hoped for in such a lively manner as if they were actually at hand and before our eyes Nay as learned Pareus observes on the place it makes them subsist not only speculatively and assentively in the mind but fiducially in the heart Now by Faith in the Messiah the Elders had their divine Testimony Abel was righteous before God Enoch pleased God Noah was an heir of Righteousness all of them were Justified and accepted in their persons and holy walking The Author makes Faith to consist in a firm assent only without any thing more in the nature of it Thus the Romanists Thus Bellarmine proves it to be only assensum firmum 〈◊〉 certum ad ea omnia quae Deus credendae proponit And to that purpose among others quotes this Text Heb. 11. But I cannot find that this will down with Protestants Faith is set forth by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 confidence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a firm perswasion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fiducial liberty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a perswasion with full sails 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a fiducial subsistence of things hoped for which expressions speak more than a naked assent Faith receives Christ puts on Christ feeds upon Christ such an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it was to the Fathers in the days of Moses that they did eat the flesh and drink the blood of the Son of God even before his Incarnation 1 Cor. 10.3 4. Meer assent cannot do this Through faith we are justified and have peace with God Rom. 5.1 We have our hearts purified Act. 15.9 We have the Spirit of all grace Joh. 7.38 We quench the fiery darts of the Devil Eph. 6.16 We have a victory over the world 1 Joh. 5.4 We rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God Rom. 5.2 Nay not only in the hope of it but with joy unspeakable and full of glory 1 Pet. 1.8 as if we had a piece of heaven here below meer assent cannot reach such admirable effects Nay it may be in wicked men who have not the least mite of those Graces or Comforts Our Saviour hath excellently expressed the nature of true Faith Every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him hath eternal life Joh. 6.40 Here are two acts the one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to see the Son to assent that he is the Redeemer of the World the other is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to believe on him by fiducial recumbency by which saith Bishop Davenant Dav. Det. 165. Vitam à vitae fonte haurimus in
blameless ver 5 6. But then after all he casts away all this Jewish and Pharisaical glory What things were gain to me those I have counted loss for Christ ver 7. he would not be justified by any of those things but doth he go no further Doth he only exclude his external Pharisaical Righteousness No surely his discourse goes on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Yea doubtless and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ vers 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are Particles of amplification as if the Apostle had said Nay more than that even now do I count all things loss In the 7. Verse he casts off his Jewish and Pharisaical gains but in the 8. he puts by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all things his inherent Graces not being admitted to be the Matter of our Justification In the 7. Vers we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in tempore praeterito I have counted but in the 8. we have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in praesenti now I do count all things loss Hence the excellent Beza saith Notandum praesens tempus sic enim crescit oratio ut jam Apostolus quod ad justificationem coram Deo attinet omnia opera excludat tum praecedentia tum etiam consequentia fidem Exam. ' de Justif pag. 135. And Learned Chemnicius saith Paulum non tantùm uti praeterito tempore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 de operibus praecedentibus conversionem sed praesenti 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ut ostendai quòd operibus suis etiam post renovationem fact is non tribuat Justificationem coram Deo Even our inherent Graces how precious soever they be in Sanctification must not assume the Royal seat of Christ and his Righteousness they must not be our very Righteousness in Justification Bellarmine indeed here cries out Quanta quaeso blasphemia est How great is this blasphemy to call good works done out of the Faith and Grace of Christ no better than dung But Paraeus answers him very well That they are not so called absolutely in themselves but comparatively to the Righteousness of Christ nefas enim ducit in ullis operibus fiduciam Justificationis ponere coram Deo In the Matter of Justification the whole Church calls her Righteousness a filthy Rag St. Paul will not there own his own inherent Graces no more than holy Job would know his own Soul But this is yet more clear ver 9. The Apostle would be found in Christ not having his own Righteousness which is of the Law he excludes his own Righteousness that is his inherent Graces in the point of Justification I say his inherent Graces for he had before shut out his external Pharisaical Righteousness ver 7. and his after-speech being not a Battology or vain repetition but progressive or expressive of more than went before he doth in the 9. Verse put by his inherent Graces under the name of his own Righteousness and which further confirms this Sence inherent Graces are in Scripture said to be our own Hence we find my faith and thy faith Jam. 2.18 and our Saviour saith Except your righteousness shall exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of heaven Matth. 5.20 See here a Righteousness and that exceeding a Pharisaical one called theirs The Apostle excludes the righteousness which is of the Law In the 7. Verse he had shut out the Righteousness of the Law taken in the Pharisaical sence but in the 9. Verse he goes on and puts by the Righteousness of the Law taken in its own spiritual Nature the Righteousness which the Law in its holy Commands prescribes and surely the Law calls for internal Holiness as well as external Conformity In another place the Apostle tells us That by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified Gal. 2.16 No flesh not the holiest Saint on earth whose Righteousness is as much above the Pharisees as Life is above pictures and shadows shall be justified by his own Righteousness or conformity to the Law But if the Apostle would not have his own Righteousness which is of the Law in Justification what would he have He would have the righteousness which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith He doth not say a Righteousness which is Faith or other Graces but a righteousness which is through the faith of Christ a righteousness which is of God by faith Now inherent Graces are never in Scripture called the Righteousness of God The righteousness of God is upon those that believe Rom. 3.22 not in them as inherent Graces are The righteousness of God is in Christ 2 Cor. 5.21 not in our selves as our Graces are The righteousness of God is one and the same with the righteousness of Christ 2 Pet. 1.1 not the same with our Graces The Apostle therefore would have the righteousness which is through the faith of Christ the righteousness which is of God by faith that is the perfect Righteousness of Christ which Faith receives and God accepts on our behalf By these things it appears that the Apostle in this place doth not only exclude external Pharisaical Righteousness but even inherent Graces in the matter of Justification There is a double Antithesis in the words Mr. Sherlock the righteousness of the Law is opposed to the righteousness which is by the faith of Christ and my own righteousness to the righteousness of God Now the surest way to understand the meaning of this is to consider how these phrases are used in Scripture The righteousness of the Law as you have already heard is an external Righteousness which consists in washings and purifications and sacrifices or an external conformity to the Moral Law The righteousness which is by the faith of Christ is an internal Righteousness which consists in the renovation of our Minds and Spirits in the government of our thoughts and passions which is therefore called being born again becoming new creatures rising with Christ putting off the old man and putting on the new which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness That Righteousness which God requires of us under the Gospel must be an inward Principle of Love and Obedience which transforms us into the image of God as if we were born again or made new creatures The reason why Godsent Christ into the world to die as a Sacrifice for our sins and to confirm and seal the new Covenant with his Blood was that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit Rom 8.3 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Chrysostome expounds it that which the Law was designed to work in them but was found too weak to effect it by reason of the greater power of sin that is the inward holiness and purity of mind which was represented and signified by
did know that there must be some inward Sanctity but still they stuck in their own Righteousness they would not submit to be justified by the Righteousness of another Our inherent Graces as before I noted are called our own in Scripture but never the Righteousness of God that is not our own but anothers that is Christ's and made ours only by Imputation Israel followed after righteousness but attained not to the Law of righteousness wherefore Because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law Rom. 9.31 they attained not to the Law of Righteousness Had the Righteousness of the Law been only an external one they might have reached it but the Law called for all Righteousness and that in pure sinless perfection and that they attained not because they sought it not in Christ in whom perfect Righteousness is but in themselves where it could not be found But to go on God never designed that any man should be justified to eternal life by observing the Law of Moses So the Author It s true God never intended to justifie us fallen Creatures by our own Righteousness or by the Righteousness of the Law performed by us But if as the Author told us before Abel and Enoch were justified by a belief of the Principles of natural Religion If Noah was justified by believing the Deluge if Abraham was justified by believing the particular Revelations made to him why might not the Jews be justified by believing the Law of Moses Abraham and all the good men in those days were justified by such a firm belief of the Being and Providence of God and the partcular Revelations made to them as made them careful in all things to please God Thus the Author pag. 255. Why might not Jews before the Incarnation of Christ be justified by such a firm belief of the Law of Moses as made them careful to please God The Law of Moses was a Revelation too in its Morals pointing out a perfect Sanctity and Righteousness and in its Typicals aiming at Christ the body and substance of them all There is one Metaphorical expression still behind Mr. Sherlock The unsearchable riches of Christ Eph. 3.8 Where by the unsearchable riches of Christ is meant the Gospel The Apostle calls it unsearchable riches because the grace of the Gospel is not a narrow stinted thing not confined to a particular Nation as the Law was but is offered to all mankind The Gospel contains those glorious discoveries of Gods goodness to all mankind as may well be called the riches of his Grace And is it not a great violation of the Majesty of Scripture to sport and toy with words and metaphors as some men with this riches of Grace That he is rich because he hath a rich dowry Brooks riches of Christ having all the world given him that he keeps open house and maintains all the Creation that he doth enrich all the Saints and all of the Saints their Understandings with glorious light their Consciences with quickness c. that he after all this vast expence is never the poorer that he is rich in Houses Lands though he had not a place whereon to lay his head Gold Silver Temporals Spirituals that he is the great Lord and owner of all These are sine things to perswade young women to accept of Christ for their Husband By the unsearchable riches of Christ Answer I suppose are meant the infinite merits of Christ the Gospel is the Charter of them but no more his riches than the Deeds and Evidences are the Lands and Mannors which they convey The merits of Christ are an infinite inexhaustable Treasure and that because the fulness of the Godhead dwells in him But I hope no man will say that the fulness of the Godhead dwells in the Gospel I see nothing of sport or toying in the words of Mr. Brook but very sober and excellent truth Though our Saviour had not Houses or Lands here yet he promises an hundred-fold to those which forsake them for his names sake That of the young women I pass by as a toy which possibly may gratifie some fancies more than they do mine SECT III. THe union of persons between Christ and Believers Mr. Sherlock which gives them a propriety in all the personal graces of Christ is commonly explained by a conjugal relation and legal union that mutual relation which is betwixt Husband and Wife and that union which is betwixt the surety and debtor Now these men say That the Wife hath an interest in her Husbands Estate and is secured from all arrests of the Law And therefore Christ being our Husband all his personal Excellencies Righteousness c. are ours and the Law cannot take hold of us but our Husband must be responsable for our faults A very hard Law truly and I think a Husband is in a very ill case when he has a bad Wife Now suppose this were the case in some earthly Marriages it were worth while to consider whether this be essential to Marriage Or whether it depends upon private contracts or publick Laws which are arbitrary and mutable for if this be essential to Marriage how can we be secure that this is the Law of our Spiritual Marriage unless our Spiritual Husband had told us so especially considering that this Spiritual Marriage betwixt Christ and his Church is of a different nature from earthly Marriages and if they differ in any thing we cannot be sure but that they differ in this unless we have some better proof of it than this Analogy between earthly and Spiritual Marriages Nay and better proof too than Dr. Owen giver us of it Cant. 1. Behold thou art fair thou hast Doves eyes Cant. 3.14 O my Dove thou art in the clefts of the rock Or Cant. 4.8 Come with me from Lebanon look from the top of Amana from the top of Shenir and Hermon from the lyons dens and the mountains of the leopards Or Isai 4.2 The branch of the Lord is beautiful and glorious and the fruit of the earth is excellent and comely to them that are escaped of Israel Which are all the proofs he can sind for Christ's giving himself to the soul with all his excellencies Now how any such consequence as this can be drawn from Doves eyes or the clefts of the rock or from Lebanon Amana Shenir Hermon or from the lyons dens or mountains of leopards is past my understanding to make out But let the Laws of Kingdoms and Nations be as they will there can be no Law made to alter the nature of things there never was any Law that the personal virtues and qualities and perfections of the Husband should be settled on his Wife for a joynture though the Husband be never so fair wise virtuous his Wife may be ugly a fool or an harlot for personal excellencies pass not out of the person nor can be made ever to any other as Money and Lands
in every Sacrifice or else which is hard to believe they knew not the meaning of that Service or did it not in Faith The Gentiles as I conceive had some Glimmerings of pardoning Mercy in his Patience towards them sparing Mercy being an hint of pardoning but this Patience was founded on the Sacrifice of Christ though unknown to them God upon the Fall of Angels made a short work and immediately cast them down into Chains and that he did not so with Men is only owing to the Sacrifice of Christ As for the Dr. I suppose as to the Jews he will fully concurr with me and as to the Gentiles I must concurr with him for he saith pag. 91. That pardoning Mercy which is reveiled in the Gospel shines not with one Ray out of Christ the Mercy in the Gospel expresly relates to the Satisfaction of Christ and as such they knew it not though that Patience which gave some glimpse of it was founded on that Satisfaction The Doctor tells us Mr. Sherlock That in Christ God hath manifested the Naturalness of his Justice in punishing Sin in that it was impossible that it should be diverted from sinners without the interposing of a Propitiation that is God is so just that he cannot pardon without Satisfaction Now this is such a Notion of Justice as is perfectly new which neither Scripture nor Nature acquaints us with Perfectly new Answer how so How many grave Divines and worthy Champions against the Socinians have affirmed That God such is his infinite Sanctity and Righteousness cannot pardon sin without a Recompence or Satisfaction And how strongly have they urged it out of Scripture and Reason In Scripture God is set forth as a Righteous God a Judge of the World who will do right one who cannot look upon iniquity who will by no means clear the guily his punishing sin is attributed not meerly to his Will or Decree but to his just Nature Thus the terrible Tempest comes down upon the wicked because the righteous Lord loveth righteousness Psal 11.6 7. Thus the vials of wrath are poured out because God is righteousness Revel 16.5 In God an hatred of Sin is as essential as a love of Holiness and in this hatred is tacitly included a velle punire as some Divines speak and upon that account sin cannot go unpunished The Subjection of a Rational Creature to its Creator is indispensable and this Dependence so far as it is broken off by sin must be salved up by punishment Should God punish meerly from his Will then it seems Sin or no Sin is all one to him God is in his own Nature no more moved with Impieties and hellish Blasphemies than if there were none the punishing them or absolving them is but an indifferent thing Socinus upon that Text absolvendo non absolvet saith That God as propense as he is to mercy and forgiveness absolves no rebels and impenitent persons remaining in that estate Yet if he might pardon without a Satisfaction might he not do it without Repentance also The very Pagans knew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the just judgment of God or that he would punish sin and this not from the reveiled Will of God but from the natural Principles and Sculptures graven in their hearts which shews that the punishment is not meerly from God's Will If Sin could have been pardoned without Satisfaction why was the only beloved Son of God made a Curse Why did he fear and tremble and bow and sweat and pray and die upon a Cross as the Dr. pathetically expresses his Passion It seems all this might have been spared But saith the Author All Mankind hath accounted it an act of goodness to remit injuries without exacting punishment and he is so far from being just that he is cruel and savage who will remit no offence till he hath satisfied his revenge That part of Justice which consists in punishing offenders was always look'd on as an instrument of Government and therefore the exacting or remitting punishment was referred to the wisdom of Governours who might spare or punish as they saw reason for it Unto which I answer The Comparison between God and Man holds not in all things A Man may renounce his Dominion over his Servant but God cannot renounce his Dominion over his Creature that whilest a Creature must be subject unto him A man saith the Author is cruel who will remit no offence till he hath satisfied his revenge But I hope God is not so who never did hath or will remit any the least offence without satisfaction a man may remit a private offence without it but may a Magistrate remit a publick one in all cases No surely sometimes Justice and the Common Good calls for punishment Deus non vult ut Princeps scelerato Legum publicarum violatori poenam commeritam remittat saith the Learned Camero God is here considered as a Magistrate as the great Judge of the World and that he cannot remit without satisfaction is not out of Impotence or Cruelty but because of the supreme Perfection of his Justice and Sanctity After the terrible discovery of the Naturalness of God's Justice Mr. Sherlock the Doctor makes some amends for it for now in Christ the Nature of God is discovered to be love and kindness a happy change this from all Justice to all Love But how comes this to pass why the account is very plain because the Justice of God hath glutted it self with revenge on sin in the Death of Christ And a little after God is Love and Patience when he hath taken his fill of revenge as others use to say that the Devil is very good when he is pleased What! Answer doth God glut himself with Revenge or is he as the Devil good when he is pleased I tremble at the Expressions and verily believe that the Dr. would have laid down his neck upon the Block before he would have uttered them Revenge or Vengeance in God is nothing but pure immaculate Justice Glutting with Revenge is an Expression fit for malicious Men or for Devils rather but not at all for God God out of Christ is a consuming Fire but in Christ a gracious Father reconconciling the World unto himself Not that there is a change in the unchangeable One but according to his wise and gracious Decree his Justice was satisfied in Christ and through that Satisfaction his Love and Kindness sweetly stream out to Men He that dares deny this must forfeit his Christianity But if the Dr. did not utter these horrid words may any such thing be drawn from him by consequence This the Author would hint for saith he The Dr. speaks very honourably of God Whatever saith the Dr. discoveries were made of the Patience and Lenity of God unto us yet if it were not withal reveiled that the other Properties of God as his Justice and Revenge for sin had their actings assigned them to the full there could be little Consilation
those who are so apt to be conceited of Merit grow as proud of a golden Bucket as if the Well were their own They are civil to Faith to make it a golden Bucket but at other times they tell us That Faith may be a sore and blear-eyed Leah a shaking and a palsie hand weak and bending Legs and have all the infirmities that may be and be never the worse neither as to the purpose of Justification so that Faith had need be a very humble Grace else it would take such language very ill from them What need all this sport with Faiths Humility or Infirmity Answer An humble Grace Faith is it empties the Soul of it self gives all Glory to God hangs upon Christ and free Grace and hath all in a way of receiving and dependence and seeing its Nature and aptitude to Evangelical purposes is such it is no wonder at all that God set his stamp upon it and marked it out for an Evangelical Medium to receive Christ and his Righteousness unto Justification Therefore it is of faith that it might be by grace saith the Apostle Rom. 4.16 Fides Gratia commeant mutuò se ponunt tollunt Fides sola Gratiâ nititur Gratia tantùm credenti promittitur saith the Learned Paraeus on the place Let us hear our Church in this matter 2. Hom. of salvation This saying that we be justified by Faith only freely and without Works is spoken to take away clearly all merit of our Works as being unable to deserve Justification at Gods hands and thereby most plainly to express the weakness of Man and goodness of God the great infirmity of our selves and the might and power of God the imperfectness of our own works and the most abundant Grace of our Saviour Christ. But to go on infirm Faith is because of the adherent Corruption which is apt to blear its eyes and give it a palsie hand and trembling legs however if it be true it entitles to Christ and his Righteousness Invoco te Domine languidâ imbecillâ fide sed fide tamen said Cruciger the German Divine Those men whom the Author opposes hold no such thing as meriting by Tears or any thing else of our own but caution against it Indeed the Author thinks there is no danger in repentant Tears but Humane pride such is its venomous Nature is ready to swell at any small matter which hath but any shadow of excellency in it The heart of good Hezekiah was lifted up over his Silver and Gold and Treasures and precious things which yet were of a much lower value than his devotional Tears which shews the proneness of our Nature to that sin Those Scriptures Without holiness no man shall see God Mr. Sherlock The wrath of God is reveiled against all unrighteousness In every Nation he that worketh righteousness is accepted of God Except your righteousness exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no wise enter into Heaven He that breaketh the least of these Commandements and teacheth men so shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven and he that doth and teacheth them shall be called great there assert the absolute necessity of an holy life to entitle us to Gods Love and the Rewards of the next Life and perfectly overthrow their fundamental Notion of Justification by the righteousness of Christ imputed to us Doth the necessity of an holy Life overthrow the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness Answer No surely it 's a very gross mistake a holy Life is so far from overthrowing Imputed Righteousness that it presupposes it We are married to Christ that we might bring forth fruit unto God Rom. 7.4 And our Church in the 12. Article tells us That good Works follow after Justification Those who are true Believers and have Christ's Righteousness imputed to them do above all other men obey God's Commands glorifie his Name and walk in holy Obedience towards the Crown of Glory above Obedience is necessary but not in that sence as if the least breach of a Command should finally exclude from Heaven for then it were Wo wo to us Nor yet so absolutely as that a Believer dying in the first instant of Faith and before actual Obedience should be shut out of Heaven Our Church hath taught us better 1. Hom. of good works quoting St. Chrysost sor it I can shew a man that by Faith without Works lived and came to heaven but without Faith never man had life the Thief that was hanged when Christ suffered did believe only and the merciful God justified him If any say that he lacked time truth it is and I will not contend therein but this I will surely affirm That Faith only saved him But these men defie you Mr. Sherlock if you charge them with destroying the necessity of an holy life for they tell us Tat this universal Obedience and good Works a suspicious word are indispensibly necessary from the sovereign appointment and Will of God this is the Will of God even our Sanctification It is the Will of the Father Son and holy Ghost it is the end of their Dispensation in the business of Salvation it is the end of the Father's electing Love Eph. 1.2 of the Son 's redeeming Love Tit. 2. and of the Spirit 's sanctifying Love it is necessary to the glory of them all And are not these men mightily injured Is it not great pity they should be so abused But the truth is all this is not one syllable to the purpose for the Question was about its necessity to salvation and if we be justified and saved without it all this cannot prove any necessary obligation on us to the practice of it God hath commanded Obedience but where is the Sanction of this Law Will he damn those who do not obey for their disobedience and save those who do for their obedience Not a word of this for this destroys our Justification by Christ's Righteousness only if after all those commands God hath left it indifferent whether we obey or not Obedience is not necessary And will the Father elect and the Son redeem none but those who are holy and reprobate all others If we be elected and redeemed without any regard to our being holy our Election and Redemption is secure whether we be holy or not and so this cannot make holiness necessary on our part though it may be necessary on God's to make us holy but that is not our care and how is Obedience for the glory of the Father Son and holy Spirit when the necessity of holiness is destructive to free Grace which is the only glory God designs by Christ I suppose them injured and abused to some tune Answer after they have in terminis asserted the Necessity of Obedience from strong invincible Scriptural Arguments they are yet charged with destroying the Necessity of an holy Life But saith the Author All this is not one syllable to the purpose
a very comfortable Notion for bad men and such as I would not part with for all the world did I resolve to live wickedly and yet intend to go to heaven but it is good to be sure in a matter of importance Christs Righteousness was not an imaginary imputed Righteousness Answer but inherent and personal thus the Author It was not imaginary but inherent very true but was it not imputed to him Then Christ would never have appealed to God as he doth Surely my judgment is with the Lord and my work with my God Isai 49.4 God would never have accounted him as righteous or promised him a Seed Isa 53.10 he would never have said This is my well-beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Matth. 3.17 neither would he ever have exalted him and given him a name above every name Phil. 2.9 In a word if his Active and Passive Righteousness were not reckoned or accounted of by God then he could not be our Saviour or pay a Ransom or Satisfaction to divine Justice for us What follows in the Author That this Righteousness may be a comfort to wilful incorrigible sinners is as I have before manifested a meer Popish Calumny But before I proceed any further with the Author I shall crave lieve of the Reader a little to state and prove this point That we are justified before God by the Imputed Righteousness of Christ and then I shall proceed with the Author Justification may be considered in a double Notion there is Constitutive Justification whereby we are made righteous before God and Sentential whereby we are pronounced such at Judgment I chiefly aim at the first upon which the second follows as a consequent Christ's Righteousness is either Active such as fulfilled the Command of the Law or Passive such as bore the Curse of it I take in both The Imputation of Christ's Righteousness is either that Fundamental Imputation whereby it is so far reckoned or accounted unto men in general as to make them capable of Justification upon Gospel-terms or that after particular Imputation whereby it is so far reckoned or accounted to Believers in particular as to constitute them righteous before God The first Imputation severs men from lapsed Angels the second severs Men from Men Believers from Unbelievers The first we have in such Scripture-expressions as tell us that Christ died for us for unless his Death were in some sence accounted to us it was no more for us than for Devils The second we have in such Scripture-expressions as tell us that we are justified by his blood for his Blood justifies us not unless it be actually particularly made ours and made ours it cannot be without an Imputation We have both together Col. 1.20 21. He hath reconciled all things and a little after yet now hath he reconciled you all things in the first sence and you O believing Colossians in the second Reconciliation was actually particularly imputed unto them which was before applicable to all I intend the second particular Imputation in this discourse That which I assert is this That Believers are justified or constituted righteous before God by the Active and Passive Righteousness of Christ actually particularly applied unto them And first as is meet let us open our eyes upon Scripture which is the only infallible Rule there often occurrs that memorable phrase the righteousness of God which cannot but be of considerable moment in this matter And what doth it import our own inherent Graces or Christ's Righteousness Not our inherent Graces for these though they come down from Heaven are never called the Righteousness of God nay on the contrary they are called our own Hence the Fath of the Romans is called your Faith Rom. 1.8 the Love of the Corinthians your Love 2 Cor. 8.8 the Patience of Christ's Disciples your Patience Luk. 21.19 the Hope of the scattered Christians your Hope 1 pet 1.21 That which is called in Scripture the Righteousness of God is not the same with that which is called our own there but it imports the Righteousness of Christ which by Imputation is made ours This is called the Righteousness of God because it is the Righteousness of Christ who is God for so his Blood is called the blood of God and his Life laid down the life of God and not a Righteousness inherent in us And withal it is a perfect Righteousness which can consist before the Tribunal of God himself and in which the pure Eyes of the holy One can find no spot or blemish at all and not an imperfect one such as our inherent Graces are But that the Righteousness of God imports Christ's Righteousness will further appear by the places wherein that phrase is used Thus Rom. 1.17 For therein is the Righteousness of God reveiled from faith to saith In the precedent Verse he saith That the Gospel is the power of God to salvation to every one that believeth and how so Why because it reveils the Righteousness of God which saves the Believer and delivers him from the wrath which in the subsequent Verse is declared to be reveiled from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men And can our inherent Graces expiate sin and avert wrath Oh no these such are their spots and imperfections must pass with God cum Venia with a pardon of their defects and under the Wings of Christ's Righteousness that that alone expiates sin and averts wrath no other but that can be the Righteousness of God within that Text. Thus Rom. 3.22 The Righteousness of God is by the faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe Inherent Graces are not upon us but in us but Christ's Righteousness as that in the Text is not in us but upon us Inhererent Graces are not the matter of our Justification of which the Apostle there treats but of Sanctification Christ's Righteousness is not the matter of our Sanctification but of our Justification which is the very thing there treated of Hence it appears that the Righteousness of God in this place is that of Christ Thus Rom. 10.3 They submitted not themselves to the Righteousness of God and what was that The next Verse tells us For Christ is the and of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth and which way was Christ the End of the Law by imparting inherent Graces to the believer or by his own perfect Righteousness imputed to him Not by the inherent Graces alas these are so far from reaching the perfection of the Law that they are full of defects and every defect is no less than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a falling short of the Law Profectò illud quod minus est quà m debet ex vitio est saith St. Austin That which is less than it ought to be is so far sinful as it is less than it ought to be Nothing less than the pure Righteousness of Christ which answers the Law in every point can be the Righteousness
Righteousness should not be imputed to us Another place I shall instance in is that Rom. 8.3 4. What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us Unto which I shall also add that other Rom. 10.4 Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Righteousness of the Law is a pure and spotless Perfection the least defect makes a breach upon it and ushers in a Curse The chief and primary End of the Law was absolute Obedience and how is the Righteousness of the Law fulfilled or its great End attained Our inherent Graces can no more reach it than defect can reach perfection or a spotted Face absolute Beauty Neither doth the Apostle say that the Righteousness of the Law is fulfilled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by us but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in us it is not our own work but in the Righteousness of Christ the Law hath its end and completion and when that Righteousness is made over to us by Imputation then the Law may be said to be fulfilled in us The Apostle Rom. 5.18 saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By the Righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life Here we have a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Christ answering to that in the Law and that being ours by imputation the Law is fulfilled in us St. Chrysostome putting the question on that place Rom. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What is the Righteousness What would the Law have And answering himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That we should be without sin adds 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This therefore is performed for us by Christ The last place I shall quote is that Eph. 1.6 He hath made us accepted in the Beloved Where we may observe that we are not accepted in our selves in our inherent Righteousness but in Christ the beloved in his perfect Righteousness which becomes ours by Imputation Thus far I have asserted Imputed Righteousness by Scripture I shall now add some Reasons to prove it And 1. God the righteous Judge proceeds judicially in Justification his judgment is according to truth Rom. 2. 2. he esteems no man righteous which is not such nor doth he account an imperfect Righteousness to be a perfect one such as justifies before him Hence it appears that our inherent Graces because imperfect cannot be our Righteousness or the matter of our Justification and what then shall we doe How may we be justified before him Must not the perfect Righteousness of Christ come in and to make it ours a divine Imputation No other expedient can be thought of because there must be a Righteousness and a perfect one to justifie us If any reply That in and through Christ our inherent Graces though imperfect are accepted of God in the room of a perfect Righteousness I answer God is mercifull but his Mercy never clashes with his Truth which calls for a perfect Righteousness He accepts of our Graces but they must pass as St. Austin saith of our Life sub veniâ under pardon and under the Wings of Christ he accepts them but not as the Matter of our Justification nor in the room of Christs perfect Righteousness Justification of Life comes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by one righteousness as that place may be read Rom. 5.18 and that one only Righteousness is the perfect Obedience of Christ no other Righteousness may take away its Crown But further should God accept of an imperfect Righteousness in Justification some I fear might ask why he could not abate a little more and accept of a No-righteousness why he could not pardon justifie wilful and impenitent sinners which the impure Socinus himself will not allow of yet if the true holy one might decline from a perfect Righteousness in Justification what may not men imagine or presume upon 2. God hath set down in the Gospel his own Way and Method of Justification The Apostle Rom. 3.28 30. having drawn his Conclusion up That a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law that Circumcision and Uncircumcision are justified in one and the same way of Faith adds ver 31. Do we then make void the Law through faith God forbid yea we establish the Law 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we make the Law to stand in its firmness and perfection That God might justifie poor sinners returning and believing he doth not abrogate the Law and so accept of their imperfect Grace in the room of that perfect Righteousness which the Law calls for but he introduces the perfect Righteousness of a Mediator and imputes it to Believers and so stablishes the Law and justifies in a way completive and perfective of it Hence Christ is said to be the End of the Law and the Law is said to be fulfilled in us The Obedience of Christ answers the Law in every point and makes the old Promise Do this and live dead through our Impotency spring and bud again with life Here the infinite Wisdom of God shews forth it self that as all the Types and Shadows of the Law which were but Temporaries were perfected in Christ the true Substance so all Moral Commands which are of an immortal Goodness were completed in his Righteousness it pleased God through the perfect Righteousness of Christ imputed to us to justifie that being a way perfective of the Law neither may any man presume to contradict his Method 3. A man in Justification is presumed to stand at God's Bar and to answer to somewhat and what must he answer to to the Gospel only or to the Law also If to the Gospel only I confess Faith answers to the Terms of it but mean while all the Pagans in the World must be in a justified State They as well as others are only to answer to the Gospel and to that because unreveiled they need make no answer at all and having nothing to make answer unto they must needs be in a justified condition And mean while also all true Believers must be in a state of Perfection the defects of their Graces must be no sins for the truth of Grace in them answers to the Terms of the Gospel and to more than these they are not to answer But if in Justification a man be to answer to the Law also nothing less than the perfect Righteousness of Christ and that made his by Imputation can possibly serve his turn nothing else is an answer to the pure perfect Law nothing else can stand before the divine Tribunal of Heaven Hence the Reverend Bishop Andrews saith with respect to that Name Jehovah our righteousness we may say Esto justitia Sermon of Justif in Christ's Name fac justitiam esto justitia intra in judicium cum servo tuo With
covering for their own Defects should ever be able to stand before God and justifie us at his Bar Who were is the Saint in Scripture that ever durst stand before God in his own inherent Righteousness Job though perfect would not know his own soul Job 9 21. David though a man after Gods own heart would not have him mark iniquities Psal 130.3 Daniel though a man of desires prayes not for his own Righteousness but for Gods great Mercies Dan. 9.28 Look over the posture of all Saints in Scripture you find them not standing upon their own bottom but in a sense of their wants breathing after Holyness pressing on towards perfection flying to a Mercy-seat and as it is expressed Hebr. 12.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 looking off from themselves unto Jesus the author and finisher of their faith in whom alone perfect Righteousness is to be found Now if as appears Justification be not by inherent Righteousness then it must be by imputed according to that of St. Bernard touching fallen Man Assignata est ei justitia aliena qui caruit suâ Unto what hath been said I shall add a few Testimonies out of the Fathers Ad Diag 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What other thing could cover our sins but Christ's Righteousness In whom could we lawless and ungodly be justified but in the only Son of God! Oh sweet exchange Thus Justin Martyr The fulfilling of the Law by Christ the First-fruits 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was to be imputed to the whole lump so Athanasius Christ having translated the filthiness of my sins to himself hath made me partaker of his purity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 communicating unto me his own beauty so Greg. Nyssen Non habeo unde me jactem De Jacob. â—it Beat lib. 1. cap. 6. gloriabor in Christo non gloriabor quia justus sum sed quia redemptus sum non quia vacuus peccati sed quia remissa peccata thus St. Ambrose God sent his Son that assuming our flesh and obeying his Father in all things 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that he might justifie the Nature of Man in himself so St. Cyril of Alexandria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If thou believest on Christ thou hast fulfilled the Law and more than it commanded thou hast now received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a greater Righteousness Hom. in â—om 10 that is in Christ the end of the Law So St. Chrysostome Domine memorabor justitiae tuae solius ipsa enim et mea nempe factus es mihi tu justitia à Deo Sup Cant Ser. 61. numquid mihi verendum nè non una ambobus sufficiat Non est pallium breve quod non possit operire duos Justitia tua in eternum me te pariter operiet quia largiter larga eterna Justitia thus St. Bernard Many other Passages might be quoted out of the Fathers but this Tast may suffice This divine Truth touching imputed Righteousness such is its Heavenly Oriency hath extorted a confession even from its enemies The very Schoolmen themselves as Bishop Andrewes hath observed whatever they are in their Quodlibets and Comments on the Sentences yet in their Soliloquies and devotional Meditations acknowledge Jehovah justitiae nostra Cardinall Contarenus saith Ego prorsùs existimo piè Christianè dici quòd debeamus niti tanquam re stabili justitia Christi nobis donatà non autem sanctitate gratià nobis inherente And Bellarmine himselfe confesses Propter incerâ—itudinem propriae justitiae periculum inanis gloriae â—â—â—just 〈◊〉 cap. 7. tutissimum est fiduciam totam in sola Dei misericardia benignitate reponere And now having in short asserted this great Truth I shall attend the Author To begin with that famous place Mr. Sherlock Jer. 23.6 where Christ is called expresly the Lord our righteousness In his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely And this is the name whereby he shall be called the Lord our righteousness a very express place to prove that Christ is our righteousness as these men expound it that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us But is there no other possible sence to be made of this phrase Righteousness in Scripture is a word of a very large use sometimes it signifies no more than mercy kindness and beneficence and so the Lord our righteousness is the Lord who doth good to us who is our Saviour and Deliverer which is very agreeable to the reason of this name that in his days Judah shall be saved and Israel dwell safely and righteousness signifies that part of justice which consists in relieving the injured and oppressed Thus David speaks Hear me O Lord of my righteousness Psal 4. Thus Isai 54 17. Their righteousness is of me saith the Lord which is a parallel expression to the Lord our righteousness and signifies no more than that God will avenge their cause and deliver them from their enemies the like we have Isai 45.24 In the Lord have I righteousness and strength that is the Lord the righteous judge will deliver them from their enemies which agrees with that promise vers 14. Thou shalt be far from oppression and Isai 61.10 He hath clothed me with the garments of Salvation he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness This sounds like imputed righteousness but it signifies the great deliverances God promised to Israel in the former verses which should make them as glorious as a splendid garment would The Lord our righteousness is a very illustrious Name of Christ Answer Bishop Andrews observes the word Jehovah Fl saith he is communicated to Angels their names end in it as Michael Gabriel Jah is communicated to Saints their names end in it Isaiah Jeremiah But here is Jehovah to certifie us that it is not the righteousness of Saints nor of Angels that will serve the turn but the righteousness of God very God And in his after discourse upon that name he fairly builds on it the imputation of Christ's active and passive righteousness but our Author hath no mind to it The Socinians who play in Homonymies familiarly enervate the force of a word in one Text by the different signification of it in another Tell them that Christ is called God they will say so are creatures too tell them of a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they will reply Moses was a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 7.35 I will not say that our Author imitates them but he turns himself about and is much concerned for another interpretation of Christ's name Is there no other possible sence to be made of this phrase Righteousness sometimes signifies mercy and so the Lord our righteousness is the Lord that doth good to us Thus the Author righteousness in some places signifies mercy Very well but where do we meet with Jehovah our mercy Or because it signifies so in some Texts must it do so in all The question is what it signifies in this
place Christ borrows not his Name from temporal blessings no that is too low The Salvation their spoken of is a spiritual and eternal one that Salvation is procured by the active and passive righteousness of Christ that righteousness is made ours by imputation Hence Christ is called the Lord our righteousness The Name of Christ must import somewhat peculiar to himself to do good to us is common to the whole Trinity but the active and passive righteousness of Christ is peculiar to himself that therefore is imported in this Name This Name seems to be attributed to the Church Jer. 33.16 because the Church is mystically united to Christ in whom this perfect righteousness is and this righteousness which is in Christ becomes the Churches by imputation Observe this name is not given to all men but to believers as pointing out not common favours but that righteousness of God which is upon those that believe The Kingdom of Christ is a spiritual Kingdom and the Salvation must be suitable to it And this great Name the Lord our righteousness is the foundation of both As to the places quoted out of Isaiah by the Author that Isai 54. may possibly speak of a vindication or justification against their enemies that Isai 45.24 25. In the Lord have I righteousness and strength in the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory speaks of a justification by Faith in Christ that robe of righteousness Isai 61. may be taken for Christs Rrighteousness which is the foundation of Salvation but however these be taken that first quoted place Jer. 23.6 plainly imports imputed righteousness It is very observable Mr. Sherlock that in all the histories of the Gospel which gives us an account of our Saviours Sermons and parables whereby he instructed the people in all necessary truths he makes no mention at all of imputed righteousness but exacts from them a righteousness of their own if they would find mercy with God Now it is very strange if imputed righteousness be the great Gospel-mystery that our Saviour should not once mention it nor warn his hearers to beware of tructing in their own righteousness but that instead of this he should severely enjoyn them the practice of an universal righteousness as the only thing that pleases God and severely threaten those who continue in any sin who break the least of his commandments that they shall not enter heaven This to me is a very great prejudice against such notions as are set up for the fundamentals of Christianity when there is not the least foot-steps of them to be seen in the Gospel of our Saviour Did not our Saviour instruct his hearers in all things necessary to Salvation Or have the Evangelists given us an imperfect account of our Saviours doctrine and omitted so essential a part of it as imputation of his Righteousness Chuse which side you please and the consequence is bad if the first then Christ was not faithful in his prophetical Office If the latter you over-throw the credit of the Gospel and by both destroy the foundation of our Faith Our Saviours Sermons were to be the rule of the Apostles had the Apostles taught any thing as necessary to Salvation which our Saviour had not taught especially any thing that did so plainly contradict the Doctrine of our Saviour as this imputed righteousness doth it would very much have weakned their credit with me for this had been to preach another Gospel than our Saviour did and we have St. Paul 's command to reject all such Preachers though they were Apostles or an Angel from heaven Gal. 1.8 9. And is there no mention at all in the Gospel of imputed Righteousness Answer Are there no footsteps of it Yes surely our Saviour tells us Seek ye first the kingdom of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his righteousness that is Gods Matth. 6.33 Inherent Graces are in Scripture called our own but here we have Gods Righteousness which answers to Jehovah our righteousness in the Prophet and the righteousness of God in the Epistles Now the Righteousness of God that is of Christ as before hath been noted is made ours only by Imputation but where doth Christ speak of his own Righteousness See Math. 3.15 Thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness saith he he fulfilled all righteousness but was it for himself or for us Not for himself his humane Nature was no sooner assumed into his divine Person but it had a Title to Heaven and might have asended up thither it was for us therefore Hence the Apostle saith expressly That he was made under the Law to redeem us Gal. 4.4 What he did as under the Law was for us and such was all his righteousness and therefore that was for us and what was for us must be applicable to us and this cannot be without an imputation It is said that Christ gave his life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a price or ransome for or instead of many Math. 20.28 Now a Ransome or Satisfaction implies imputation and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly imports a Subrogation or Substitution of one in the room of another Christ died in our room and satisfied for us this Satisfaction is made ours particularly by imputation Hear the French Divines Hanc satisfactionem loco nostro praestitam à Christo nobis imputari negari non potest quis neget solutam à Fidejussore pecuniam imputari Debitori exhibitam à Vade satifactionem imputari ei cujus nomine facta est Ea igitur Christi satisfactio nobis ex gratiâ Dei Patris imputata atque donata illa demum justitia est quâ justificamur in Dei judicio We see therefore in the Gospel Satisfaction owned and that necessarily infers Imputation Christs blood was shed for many for the remssion of Sins as himself tells us Matth. 26.28 Now it could not be shed for us without the first fundamentall Imputation neither can it be made ours to justifie us without an after particular Imputation For his Blood when it cleanses away our sins is not ours by Inhesion therefore if it be at all ours to doe that great Work it must be so by Imputation Remission of sins was to be preached in his name Luk. 24.47 and In his name shall the Gentiles trust Math. 12.21 This Name includes his Blood and Righteousness and these are made ours by Imputation If any reply plainer proof is desired I answer Several things are to be considered by us There is no one place in the Gospels to maintain Justification by our own Righteousness or if there were I shall be bold to say that all the Protestant Churches in the World are bound to yeild the Cause in this point to their Adversaries the Papists Obedience to Gods Commandements is indeed the way to heaven but it is no where made an ingredient into our Justification That place Math. 5.19 quoted by the Author that Whosoever shall break one of the Least
Commandements shall be the Least in the Kingdom of Heaven if taken in rigore juris were enough to shut all men out of heaven it imports therefore that sincere Obedience is necessary to those who will go thither Again the Evangelicall Light brake out as it pleased the Father of Lights gradually and successively In Math. 16. Peter makes that famous Confession Thou art Christ and was by Christ called Blessed for it and a little after Peter as ignorant of Christ's Passion would have diverted him from it and for that was called Satan Christ's Passion was sure a most necessary thing vet he knew it not Further our Saviour tells the Apostles that It was expedient for them that he should go away why so Then the spirit should come which should guide them into all truth which should glorifie Christ which should take of Christs and should shew it unto them Joh. 16.7 13 14 15. Observe the Spirit was to open and display the things of Christ amongst others his blood and righteousness in their glory and true use to be made ours and now it is no wonder at all if imputed Righteousness be more fully laid down in the Epistles than in the Sermons of our Saviour Christ himself the wisdom of heaven reserved that fuller light till the descent of the holy Ghost Moreover we must distinguish between the necessity of Christs imputed righteousness in it self and the necessity of the knowledge of it Imputed Righteousness since the fall hath ever been necessary in it self no man was ever justisied without Christ's blood applyed to him and that application is made upon believing by way of imputation but the knowledge of it hath been more or less necessary as the Evangelical light hath more or less reveiled it St. Peter at that time of his confession was no doubt justified by Christ's blood and yet he then had not the knowledge of his passion Lastly it appears plainly that our Saviour warned his hearers not to trust in their own Righteousness Thus the Pharisee and the Publican are in the Parable set forth to those that trusted in themselves that they were righteous Luk. 18.19 The Pharisee boasts of his Justice Purity Sanctity The Publican cries out of his sins and begs for mercy and as our Saviour tells us went away jestified rather than the other So true is that of Prosper Melior est in malis factis humilis confessio quà m in bonis superbagloriatio To conclude I hope by these things it appears that neither our Saviour was unfaithful in his prophetical Office nor the Evangelists in giving us an account of our Saviours Doctrine It is worth the observing Mr. Sherlock that in all the New Testament there is no such expression as the Righteousness of Christ or the imputation of Christ's Righteousness we there only find 〈◊〉 righteousness of God and the righteousness of Faith and the righteousness of God which is by the faith of Jesus Christ which is 〈◊〉 strange Did the whole Mystery of the Gospel consist in the imputation of Christ's Righteousness that neither Christ nor his Apostles should once tell us so in express terms This is Bellarmine's own Argument Answer Hactenùs nullum omninò locum invenire potuerunt De just l. 2. cap. 7. ubi legeretur Christi justitiam nobis imputari ad justitiam But I hope our Author will not follow the sound and tinkling of words what if it be not in Scripture syllabically and literally May it not suffice to be there in Sence just Consequence Ratio divina non in superficie est sed in medullà The Author saith That there is no such Expression as the Righteousness of Christ but St. Peter tells us of the righteousness of God our Saviour Jesus Christ 2. Pet. 11 1 Again he saith That there is no such Expression as the Imputation of Christs Righteousness But St. Paul tells us That we are made righteous by Christs obedience Rom. 5.19 But I will say no more to this Objection because I have before proved Imputed Righteousness by Scripture That phrase Mr. Sherlock the Righteousness of God sometimes signifies his Justice Veracity or Goodness Rom. 3.5 but most commonly in the new Testament it signifies that Righteousness which God approves commands and which he will accept for the Justification of a sinner which is contained in the Terms of the Gospel Rom 1.17 For therein is the Righteousness of God reveiled Thus it is called the Righteousness of God Math. 6.33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness which is the same with the righteousness of his Kingdome Now the Kingdom of God signifies the State of the Gospel and the Righteousness of God or of his Kingdom that Righteousness which the Gospel prescribes which is conteined in the Sermons and Parables of Christ and consists in a sincere and universal Obedience to the Commands of God Answer The Righteousness of God is indeed that which he approves and accepts of in Justification but not that which he commands us to do no then we should not be justified by Christs blood Rom. 5.9 nor made righteous by his obedience Rom. 5.19 then the Apostle would not tell us of a righteousness imputed without works Rom. 4.6 Neither would he as he doth in that place exclude the Works of converted Abraham from Justification I say of converted Abraham for those words Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness Rom. 4.3 were spoken of Abraham divers years after his Conversion as Dr. Ward hath observed Our Obedience is an Evidence of our Justification 〈◊〉 22. but till it can expiate sin and reach the top and apex of the pure Law it cannot be the Matter of our Righteousness before God Our Church places good Works after Justification and most exellently states Justification in three things Vpon Gods part his great mercy and grace 〈◊〉 of Salvation upon Christs part Justice that is the satisfaction of Gods Justice or the price of our Redemption by the offering of his Body shedding of his Blood with fulfilling of the Law perfectly thoroughly and upon our part true and lively Faith in the Merits of Jesus Christ which is not ours but by God's working in us Thus our Church leaving no room at all for Obedience In the point of Justification The Righteousness of God that which he commands and rewards is the Righteousness of Faith Mr. Sherlock or Righteousness by the Faith of Christ Now Faith in Christ is often ujed objectively for the Gospel of Christ which is the Object of our Faith and so the Righteousness of Faith or by the Faith of Christ is that Righteousness which the Gospel commands Thus Acts. 24. Felix sent for Paul and heard him concerning the Faith of Christ that is concerning righteousness temperance and the judgment to come vers 25. which are the principal Matters of the Gospel Thus obedience to the Faith is obedience to
the power of sin and that by the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Thus the Author to which I answer God sent his Son indeed into the world that we might be sanctified by his Spirit but that was not all he sent him that we might be justified by his Blood and Righteousness to which purpose it will be worth while to consider that place Rom. 8. The Apostle in the first verse sets forth believers men in Christ by two excellent things first by Justification There is no condemnation to them no though there be reliques of corruption in them as is imported in the seventh Chapter there is none and then by Sanctification which is in conjunction with the other they walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit And in the other verses he confirms both but inverso ordine first he confirms their Sanctification from the great Origen of it the holy Spirit The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death vers 2. The power of the holy Spirit hath subdued the power of sin and then he confirms their Justification from the sufferings of Christ with which his active obedience is to be taken in conjunction What the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin condemned sin in the flesh vers 3. Their sins were condemned in the flesh of Christ there was an atonement made for them which certainly must relate to Justification from these sufferings of Christ with which his active obedience must be taken in conjunction the Apostle inferrs That the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us vers 4. The Law was not able to justifie us for want of a perfect obedience in us but God translated the impletion of the Law upon Christ Christ fulfilled all Righteousness for us Christ bore the wrath of God for us and these things being imputed unto us the Righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us But then the Apostle returns again to Sanctification and subjoyns Who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit assuring us that those who are justified by the imputed Righteousness of Christ are also Sanctified and led by his holy Spirit This I take to be the meaning of the place But let us hear our Church treating upon this place in conjunction with other Scriptures r. Hom. of Salvation St. Paul saith Rom. 3. We are justified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ And Rom. 10. Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth And Rom. 8. That which was impossible by the Law in as much as it was weak by the flesh God sending his own Son in the similitude of sinful flesh by sin damned sin in the flesh that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled in us which walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit In these places the Apostle toucheth three things which must go together in our Justification upon Gods part his great mercy and grace upon Christ's parts justice that is the satisfaction of God's justice or the price of our redemption by the offering of his body and shedding of his Blood with fulfilling of the Law perfectly and throughly and upon our part true and lively Faith in the merits of Jesus Christ which yet is not ours but by Gods working in us So that in our Justification is not only Gods Mercy and Grace but also his Justice which the Apostle calleth the Justice of God and it consisteth in paying our ransom and fulfilling of the Law And so the Grace of God doth not shut out the Justice of God in our Justification but only shutteth out the justice of man that is to say the justice of our works as to be merits of deserving our justification And therefore St. Paul declareth here nothing upon the behalf of man concerning his justification but only a true lively Faith which nevertheless is the gift of God and not man's only work without God and yet that Faith doth not shut out Repentance Hope Love Dread and the fear of God to be joyned with Faith in every man that is justified but it shutteth them out from the office of justifying so that although they be all present in him that is justified yet they justifie not all together These are the excellent words of our Church worthy without flattery be it spoken to be written in Letters of Gold but much more in the hearts of all true Christians We see here that there is in justification nothing on the behalf of man but Faith only no internal Holiness Repentance Hope Love Fear of God are in the justified but shut out from the office of justifying God's Grace and Christ's Righteousness are the great causes of justification But saith the Author Is there here any mention of Christ's Righteousness or the imputation thereof I answer Our Church surely thought so and we have his passive Righteousness expressed vers 3. and where that is expressed the active is implied This is clear when the Scripture saith That we are made righteous by Christ's obedience Rom. 5.19 It doth include his blood also and when he saith That we are justified by his blood Rom. 5.9 It doth include his active obedience also so that the Scripture because it expresses justification by both and because it must be consistent with it self in expressing the one includes the other When therefore Rom. 8.3 his sufferings are expressed his active obedience is also included both therefore are intended and withall an imputation without which they cannot be profitable to us But saith the Author The Law could not do it that is the Law could not deliver from the power of sin I answer The Law could not do it of it self and without the Spirit of Christ but if that divine Spirit take the Law into its hand and write it in the heart I suppose there will be a New Creature But the Author saith That the righteousness of the Law may be fulfilled in us who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit vers 4. How can imputation come in here What pretty sence will this make of the Apostles argument I answer The sence is very clear the Righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in us by Christ's Righteousness imputed to us and withall we to whom that is imputed walk after the Spirit the one is our Justification the other our Sanctification Both the Apostle proves to be in Believers and both consist very well together as appears from the first verse There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit The No condemnation appertains to Justification and the walking after the Spirit to Sanctification and both stand very well together As to what the Author saith afterwards That there was no reason to abrogate Moses ' s
Christ's Righteousness and Satisfaction to us he now in a legal notion looks upon both but as one person Now I have two things to say to this First I wonder why this should be called the union of Saints to Christ Or why Christ should be called only the Saints Surety The Apostle tells us that he is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb. 7.22 The Surety of a Testament or Covenant Now there is a vast difference between Christ's being the Saints surety and the surety of the Covenant for the Covenant respects both Saints and Sinners therefore is antecedent to our union to Christ as Saints and to be surety of the Covenant signifies no more but to confirm this Covenant and to undertake for the performance of it that all the promises of it shall be made good upon such terms as are annexed to them But to be a Surety for Saints as the Doctor explains it is to strike hands with God to put himself in their stead to do and suffer for them Now this notion is different from the notion of a Surety of a Covenant and so it wants some better proof But secondly suppose Christ had been called the Saints surety I doubt they are as much out in the Law of suretiship as they were before in the Laws of Marriage For first the prime end of suretiship among men is not that the Surety shall without more ado pay the debt but to give security to the Creditor that the debt shall be paid that is the Surety doth not make himself immediate Debtor but the Debtor is Debtor still and bound to pay the Debt and the Surety is liable only in case of his default It is a strange definition of suretiship That it is an absolute taking the debt upon our selves and an actual discharging the Debtor No man in his wits ever became surety for another when he knew before hand that if he did he must pay the debt but men become sureties upon reasonable assurance that they shall suffer no injury by it Therefore when Christ died for us he did not dye as our Surety but as our Sacrifice substituted in our room which is the Scripture notion of it and differs as much from the notion of a surety as paying the debt doth from being bound with another that it shall be paid Suppose secondly That Christ dyed for us as our Surety yet did Christ fulfill all Righteousness for us as our surety too Doth this also exactly answer the case of suretiship among men so as that there needs no illustration of it The Doctor was so wise that he would not assert this in the premisses but very craftily thrusts it into the conclusion That therefore God makes over our sins to Christ and Christ's Righteousness and satisfaction to us But was there ever such a surety heard of among men that one man should discharge all offices of piety virtue justice temperance instead of another If such a thing had ever been such a man ought not to have been called a surety but a proxy But humane Laws as many defects as there are in them never admitted of such proxies for these are personal duties which none can perform for us you may as well say that a man may live and be a man by proxy as discharge those duties which are necessarily entailed on his person by a proxy Proxies are allowable only in such cases where the material enquiry is whether the thing be done not who doth it but where the consideration of the person that doth it is essential to the action there is no place for a surety or proxy because it doth not satisfie the Law that the thing is done unless it be done by such a person Thus it is in all the duties of Piety and Religion every individual person is bound to do them Though there were never so many righteous men in the World there righteousness can avail none but themselves Nay the righteousness of God which is more than all the righteousness of men cannot make an unrighteous man righteous no external Relation can make the righteousness of another ours because it is personal righteousness that is required of us and the righteousness of another can never be our personal righteousness unless we become one person with him There is no other way to make the personal righteousness which is the Righteousness required of us but by a personal union to Christ by being christed with Christ as some speak how boldly soever yet very agreeable to these principles Christ is the Surety of the Covenant Heb. 7.22 Answer And he is our Surety also he undertook the satisfaction of our debts and therefore must be such Lo I come to do thy will O God saith he Heb. 10.7 Burnt-offerings and Sacrifices could not pay our debts The blood of Bulls and Goats could not take away sin as the Apostle there tells us Christ therefore undertook the doing of it he was substituted in our stead or room he gave his life 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matth. 20.28 A price in the room or stead of many he gave himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Tim. 2.6 A counterprice or vicarious price for all he was our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his Soul was in our Souls stead which could never have been unless as our Surety he had undertaken to satisfie for us The sins of us all met upon that holy immaculate one Isai 53.6 He was made sin for us 2 Cor. 5.21 Sin by imputation who had not the least spot by inhesion and this could by no means have been unless he had undertaken satisfaction as our Surety St. Paul could never have been charged with the debt of Onesimus unless as his Surety neither could Christ have been charged with our sins unless he had been ours he was nor only charged with our sins but made actual satisfaction for them he paid that he never took he was wounded for our transgressions Isai 53.5 He gave himself for our sins Gal. 1.4 He made such satisfaction that he blotted the bond or hand-writing that was against us Col. 2.14 And these things he would never have done unless he had taken them upon himself as our Surety he saith of himself that he came to give his life a ransom for many Matth. 20.28 He came for that end as being bound by his suretiship so to do He was therefore our Surety as well as the Surety of the Covenant Nay it being plainly the divine pleasure that there should be no remission without shedding of blood that all pardoning mercy should issue out to us through a satisfaction unless he had been our Surety unless he had undertaken to satisfie for us he could not have been Surety of the Covenant he could not have secured the least Grace or Mercy to us more than to Devils for whom he would not be surety or make any satisfaction Now being our Surety he is one with us Conjunctione legali and so he is with all those for
Righteousness it suffices us that this Mystery is founded on the holy Scripture When the Romans would have no other Gods but what were approved of by the Senate Tertullian tells them Apud vos de humano arbitratu Divinitas pensitatur Apost cap. 5. nifi homini Deus placuerit Deus non erit But as long as we find Imputed Righteousness in Scripture we need not seek a Probatū est from humane laws or reason Let us now try Mr. Sherlock whether the Notion of a Mediator can do any better service than the Notion of a Surety Dr. Owen saith That Christ fulfilled all Righteousness as he was Mediator and that whatever he did as Mediator he did it for them whose Mediator he was and in whose stead and for whose good he executed the Office of a Mediator before God and hence is it that his complete and perfect Obedience to the Law is reckoned to us But that Christ fulfilled all Righteousness as he was Mediator must have good proof the Notion of a Mediator includes no such thing A Mediator is one who interposes between two differing parties but was it ever heard of yet that it was the Office of a Mediator to perform the Terms and Conditions himself Moses was the Mediator of the first Covenant Gal. 3.9 and his Office was to receive the Law from God and to deliver it to the people and to command them to observe the Rites and Sacrifices and Expiations which God had ordained but he was not to fulfil the Righteousness of the Law for the whole Congregation Thus Christ is now the Mediator of a better Covenant and his Office required that he should preach the Gospel which contains the Terms of peace between God and men and since God would not enter into Covenant with sinners without the intervention of a Sacrifice he dies too as a Sacrifice and Propitiation for the sins of the World and confirms and seals this new Covenant with his own Blood and being risen from the dead he executes this Office of Mediator with power and glory that is he intercedes for us according to the Terms and Conditions of the new Covenant to obtain the pardon of our sins and the assistance of the divine Grace to do the Will of God and all those other blessings that are promised But the Office of Mediator doth not oblige him to fulfil the Righteousness of the Covenant for us Christ is a Mediator but in a supereminent way a Mediator Answer but above all Peers or Parallels Hence the Apostle tells us that there is one Mediator between God and men the man Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 2.5 One Mediator Moses was a Mediator too but because Christ was a Mediator in a peculiar and superexcellent manner there is but one Mediator Moses was an internuncial Mediator but Christ was a satisfying and atoning one Hence it appears that the Mediatorship of Christ must not be measured by the Mediatorship of Moses or any other person in the world but must be construed according to those singular Excellencies and Preeminencies which the Scripture attributes to it The Apostle tells us what a Mediator he was He gave his life a ransom for all and as I noted before where his Passive Obedience is expressed there the active is implyed Christ was a Mediator in that which he did for us and on our behalf and for us and on our behalf he fulfilled all Righteousness This is evident that of Christs which is imputed and applyed to us to justifie and make us Righteous before God was done for us and and on our behalf and such was his fulfilling all Righteousness Hence the Apostle tells us That by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men to justification of life and by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Rom. 5.18 19. Moses was not to fulfill the righteousness of the Law for the people nor was he to dye as a propitiatory Sacrifice for them but Christ a more excellent Mediator did both for us Dr. Owen first tells of an habitual Righteousness of Christ Mr. Sherlock as Mediator in his humane Nature that this was the necessary effect of the Grace of Union that therby he was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fit to do all that he did for us So that this is not imputed to us but was his own proper Righteousness But Secondly There is the actual obedience of Christ which was his willing performance of every thing that God by any Law did require besides the particular Law of the Mediator Let us then first consider the peculiar Law of the Mediator which he tells us respected himself meerly so that we have nothing to do with this neither and it contains all those acts and duties of his which were not for our imitation he instances in his obedience which he shewed in dying though St. John tells us that we must imitate him in this also must lay down our lives for the brethren as Christ dyed for us Joh. 1.3.16 And St. Paul tells us that we must be conformed to the Death and Resurrection of Christ Rom. 6. which sounds very like an imitation though in the next page he excepts the case of dying of his passive obedience and tells us that all the rest of his obedience to the Law of meditation is not imputed to us as though we had done it So that by the Law of meditation he understands whatever Christ was bound to do as our Mediator whatever was proper to his Mediatory office all this though sometimes when he better thinks of it he excepts dying is not imputed to us as though we had done it I hope we shall find something at last to be imputed to us and yet there is nothing left now But thirdly That which concerns him in a private capacity as a man subject to the Law And now whatever was required of us by virtue of any Law that he did and fulfilled And this is that actual obedience of Christ which he performed for us This is very strange that what he did as Mediator is not imputed to us But what he did not as our Mediator but as a man subject to Law that is imputed to us and reckoned as if we had done it by reason of his being our Mediator and it is as strange to the full that Christ should do whatever was required of us by virtue of any Law when he was neither Husband Wife Father Merchant Soldier Captain much less a Temporal Prince and how he should discharge the duties of those Relations for us when he was never in any of those Relations I leave to the subtilty of the School-men I know not of what moment this discourse is Answer only the Author would seem to wrap the Doctor up in obscurity but the Doctor hath expressed his mind in plain terms pag. 182. his words are these God sent Christ as a Mediator to do and suffer whatever the Law required at
so we are made righteous by his obedience ver 9. His Third Reason to prove Answer that Christ fulfilled all Righteousness for us is from the absolute necessity of it For this is the Term of the Covenant Do this and live Life is not to be obtained unless all be done that the Law requires we being unable to do this it is necessary that Christ our Mediator and Surety should fulfil the Law for us This Argument is to prove that it ought to be so not that it is so but we must not prescribe methods to God The sum of the Argument is that there never was nor never can be a Covenant of Grace that God still exacts the rigorous perfection of the Law from us that we must not appear before him without a complete and perfect Righteousness of our own or of another Now this is the thing in question Whether we must be made righteous with the perfect Righteousness of Christ imputed to us or whether God will for the sake of Christ dispense with the rigor of the Law and accept of a sincere and Evangelical Obedience in stead of a perfect and unsinning Righteousness so that he only confidently affirms what was in dispute and this goes for an Argument We must not prescribe methods to God Answer Nor may we deny those he hath set down and reveiled to us The Scripture tells us that Justification under the Gospel is in a way completive and perfective of the Law so that the Law is established Rom. 3.31 and hath its end or complement Rom. 10.4 and this cannot be without a perfect Righteousness And withal the Scripture tells us where that Righteousness is Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to us Rom. 10.4 and We are made the Righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 The Righteousness of Christ is made ours by Imputation that answers the Law in every point But then saith the Author there can be no covenant of Grace If the perfect Righteousness were to be done by us in our own persons there could be none indeed but may there be none if that Righteousness be fulfilled by Christ and imputed to us The Papists use to blast imputed Righteousness with many ugly names as if it were putative an imaginary Fiction a Spectrum of Luther's Brain and the like but I never before heard that the Righteousness of Christ made ours by Imputation did overthrow the Covenant of Grace Sure the Passive Righteousness of Christ doth not overthrow it and if the Active be joyned with that as it ought no evil can ensue but we may in the conjunction of both as in a Glass see the admirable Wisdom of God which hath framed the Covenant of Grace in such a manner that we who have no perfect Righteousness of our own are yet justified by the complete Righteousness of Christ our Surety so that the Law though not fulfilled by us hath its perfect completion It 's true that God accepts of our sincere Obedience but not in Justification not in the room of Christ's perfect Righteousness but in its own proper place having its defects covered with Christ's Righteousness The Doctor makes a great flourish with some Scripture-phrases Mr. Sherlock that there is almost nothing that Christ hath done but we are said to do it with him We are crucified with him dead with him buried with him quickned with him c. But he is quite out in the reason of these expressions which is not that we are accounted to do the same things which Christ did but because we do some things like them Our dying to sin is a conformity to the death of Christ and our walking in newness of life a conformity to his Resurrection I know no Divine who interprets those Phrases of being crucified Answer dead buried quickned with Christ of imputed Righteousness neither do I suppose that the Doctor ever intended any such thing those Phrases belong to Sanctification Then we are crucified with Christ when we feel the power of his Cross in our Mortification then we are risen with Christ when we feel the power of his Resurrection raising of us up to the divine Life and Likeness The Doctor cites that Text Mr. Sherlock Gal. 4. 4 5. God sent forth his Son made of a woman made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law and here he stops but I shall take confidence to add That we might receive the adoption of Sons Now by being made under the Law he tells us is meant being disposed of in such a condition that he must yield subjection and obedience to the Law well suppose this and this was all to redeem us and therefore our redemption is by the obedience of Christ imputed to us Fairly argued but can his obedience to the Law contribute no otherways to our redemption but by being reckoned as done by us But the truth is this us is not in the text it is not to redeem us but to redeem them that were under the Law that is the Jews who were in bondage under the Mosaical Law from which Christ redeemed them by abrogating that Law and introducing a better covenant the adoption of sons For in this Epistle nay in this chapter the Law is called a state of servants and of an heir under age but the Gospel is the adoption of sons puts us into such a free and manly state as that of an heir at age and therefore is called the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 So that the meaning of this Text is this that God hath put an end to the dispensation of the Law which is called redeeming them that are under the Law in a state of servitude and bondage and hath established a better Covenant in the room of it which as much exceeds the Law as the adoption of Sons doth the state of Servants and this God brought to pass by sending his Son made of a woman made under the Law For the understanding of which words we must consider what influence Christ's appearing in the world had on the abrogation of the Law and that was that he accomplished all the Types and Figures of the Law in his own Person and when all those Types were fulfilled they grew out of date So that his being made under the Law most probably signifies his being made such a Person as should exactly answer all the Types and Figures of the Law and so to put an end to it as of no further use Thus the Temple was God's House but now the Shechinah or divine Glory rested on Christ When Christ the great High-Priest came and offered himself all legal Priests and Sacrifices were of no use Thus by his being under the Law and accomplishing all the Types of it he put an end to all those beggarly rudiments and delivered the Jews from the bondage of the Law for though the Gentiles too are redeemed by Christ yet they were not redeemed from the Law of
is a belief of the Gospel which was confirmed by his death and believing that Christ is the Son of God the Messiah and Prophet whom God sent to reveil his will includes a general belief of the Gospel which he preached and believing that God raised him from the dead doth the same because his Resurrection was the last and great confirmation of the truth of the Gospel Hence the Apostles attribute such things to the Blood of Christ as are the proper immediate office of the Gospel-Covenant because the Blood of Christ is the Blood of the Covenant and therefore all the blessings of the Gospel are owing to it because the Gospel-Covenant was procured and confirmed by it Thus the Gentiles who were a far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ and the Gentiles and Jews were reconciled unto God in one body by the cross Eph. 2.14 15 16. That is the Gentiles were received into the fellowship of God's Church and the Jews and Gentiles united in one body Now this union of Jews and Gentiles is owing to the Gospel which takes away all marks of distinction and separation and gives them both an equal right to the blessing of the New Covenant This New Covenant belongs to all mankind there is now no distinction of persons Neither Jew nor Greek Barbarian Scythian bond nor free but Christ is all and in all No man is acceptable to God because he is a Jew or Greek but the only thing of any value is Faith in Christ or a belief of the Gospel which is indifferently offered to all Now this is attributed to the Blood of Christ and to his death because thereby Christ put an end to the Mosaical Covenant and sealed this New Covenant of Grace with Mankind as the Apostle explains himself in the following verses 17.18 c. That Christ having abolished the Law of Commandments by his death he came and preached peace that is the Gospel of peace to them who were a far off to the Gentiles and to them who were nigh to the Jews he abrogated the Mosaical Law That Law of Commandments contained in ordinances which was peculiar to the Jews and separated them from the rest of the World And he broke down the middle wall of partition which kept the uncircumcised Gentiles though Proselites at a distance from God as confining their worship to the outward court of the Temple which the Apostle seems to refer to in that phrase Them that were a far off And now by the Gospel he admits the Gentiles to as near an approach to God as the Jews As he adds For through him we have an access by one Spirit to the Father vers 18. The Author enquiring Answer what influence the obedience and death of Christ have upon our acceptance with God resolves it thus All that I can find in Scripture is that to this we owe the Covenant of Grace Christ's Blood is called the Blood of the Covenant because it did seal and confirm the Covenant I answer Christ's Blood did indeed seal and confirm the Covenant But is this the all of it Socinus will own as much as this comes to Sicuti alicujus animantis sanguine fuso foedera antiquitùs sanciebantur De servat l. 1. cap. 3. confirmabantur ita Christi silii sui sanguine foedus suum novum atque aeternum quod nobiscum per ipsum Christum pepigerat sancivit confirmavit Deus Thus he telling us too that it is therefore called Sanguis aeterni foederis To the same purpose speaks the Racovian Catechist with others of the same Tribe But the Scripture tells us more of the Blood of Christ That we are justified by his blood Rom. 5.9 But saith the Author we are said to be justified by his Blood that is by the Gospel-Covenant which was confirmed with his Blood This is a strange way of interpreting Scripture We are justified by his blood that is by the Gospel We may as well go on to verse 18. and say justification of life is by the righteousness of one that is by the Gospel And to verse 19. and say We are made righteous by the obedience of one that is by the Gospel And from thence we may go on at the same rate with other Scriptures as He hath washed us from our sins in his own blood Revel 1.5 that is in his own Gospel The blood of Jesus Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered up himself without spot to God shall purge your consciences from dead works Heb. 9.14 that is the Gospel shall do it This is my blood of the new Testament which is shed for many for the remission of sins Matth. 26.28 that is this is my New Testament of the New Testament which is shed for many for the remission of fins Rather than make such work with Scripture we were as good let the Blood of our dear Lord stand there as it ought in its justifying Glory We are justified by Christ's blood that is by the Gospel And is Christ's Blood the Gospel Or where in all the Scripture is the Blood of Christ so taken The Scripture rarely if ever speaks of being justified by the Gospel but it speaks much and often of being justified by Christ's Blood It cleanses us from all sin 1 Joh. 1.7 It purges the conscience Heb. 9.19 It was shed for the remission of sins Eph. 1.7 It washes us from our sins Rev. 1.5 And yet all this contrary to the express words and genius of Scripture must be understood not of the Blood of Christ but of the Gospel and why of the Gospel Because his Blood confirmed the Gospel And is justifying and confirming the Gospel all one Christ's Blood according to the Author confirmed the Covenant with all Mankind but all men are not justified When the Scripture speaks of Christs Blood and Death as confirmative of the Covenant or Gospel it speaks sometimes in general of all men Thus he died for all men 2 Cor. 5.15 Hee gave himself a ransom for all 1 Tim. 2.6 with many other places to the same purpose But when the Scripture speaks of Christ's Blood as justifying it speaks not in general of all but in particular of Believers only and yet if justify and confirming the Gospel were all one it might be as truly said that Christ justifies all as that he died for all The Gospel is the Charter of Justification but besides the Charter their must be a Righteousness to be the Matter of our Justification God never justifies any man without a Righteousness and what is it Is it the very Act of Faith Thus Socinus would have it De servat part 4. cap. 4. that the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Credere is loco justitiae in the room of all Righteousness But I have before proved that Faith as an Act and absolutely in it self considered canot justifie us Or is it our inherent Graces This is the express Tenet of the Papists Thus Bellarmine would have
justifying Grace to be donum in Animainhaerens Renovation and Regeneration Against this our Protestant Divines have sufficiently testified Indeed no man who understands either himself and his own Errata's or the necessary distinction which is to be made between Justification and Sanctification can assert it And now nothing remains to be our Righteousness in Justification but the Obedience and atoning Blood of Christ and these cannot be applied to us and become ours but by Imputation By this it appears that the Blood of Christ doth not only confirm the Covenant but that it justifies us also And this further appears by the place quoted by the Author Moses sprinkled the blood on the book and on all the people Heb. 9.19 He did not only confirm the Covenant but sprinkled the People too this was the Type or Figure but Christ who is the Substance not only confirms the Covenant but sprinkles the hearts of Believers by his Blood Hence their hearts are sprinkled from an evil conscience Heb. 10.22 and they have the sprinkling of the blood of Christ 1 Pet. 1.2 But to go on The Scripture saith the Author uses these phrases promiscuously to be justified by Faith by Christ by Grace nay by believing that Christ is the Son of God or risen from the dead To which I answer All these concurr to the same Justification but not in the same manner Grace which is the inward impulsive Cause of Justification is not Christ or his Blood the Blood of Christ which is the Matter of our Righteousness is not Faith Faith which is the Hand to receive Christ and Grace is not the Gospel the Charter of Justification which contains the Evangelical Axioms such as those touching Christ's being the Son of God or touching his Resurrection from the dead are These are distinct things and not to be confounded As for that place Eph. 2.14 15 16. the Apostle speaks indeed of reconciling Jews and Gentiles but that is not all he speaks too of reconciling both to God ver 16. and of making them one new man in himself ver 15. which notes a further reconciliation than that among themselves even a conjunction with God and Christ according to our Saviours Prayer That they maybe one in us Joh. 17.21 Christ saith the Author abrogated the Mosaical Law I answer He did so as to Types and Ceremonials but the Moral Law which is immortalized by its intrinsecal Sanctity stands to this day and the Grace which was under the Old Testament was not abrogated but made more illustrious than it was before The Gentiles saith the Author were at a distance from God But if they had natural Faith and could by it please God the distance was less and more tolerable though they were but in the outward Court of the Temple nay though they were a thousand miles off from it they would do well enough in the other world Mr. Sherlock Thus the Jews are said to be redeemed from the curse of the Law by the accursed death of Christ upon the Cross Gal. 3.13 Because the death of Christ put an end to that Legal dispensation and sealed a new and better Covenant between God and Man and the Gentiles were redeemed from their vain conversation received from their fathers that is from those idolatrous and impure practices they were guilty of not with silver and gold but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ 1. Pet. 1.18 19. Now the Gentiles were delivered from their Idolatry by the preaching of the Gospel which is called their being redeemed by the blood of Christ because we owe this unspeakable blessing to his death Thus the Jews are redeemed from the curse of the Law by the accursed death of Christ Answer Gal. 3.13 so the Author and thus Socinus De Servat part 2. cap. 1. Ad Judaeos tantùm pertinet This belongs only to the Jews But the Curse which fell upon Christ was not a ceremonial one but a real such as put him into Agonies and a bloody Sweat neither were the Jews only redeemed from it but the Gentiles also what else was this to the Galatians who were Gentiles Were not the Gentiles also under the Curse and by nature children of wrath No doubt they were the Apostle saith That Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ ver 14. And surely he would not argue from the Redemption of the Jews only to the Benediction of the Gentiles but from what was common to both of them The Gentiles were redeemed from their vain conversation that is from their idolatrous practices with the blood of Christ 1 Pet. 1.18 19. that is they were delivered by the preaching of the Gospel So the Author But when they were redeemed from their vain Conversation they were redeemed from the guilt of it and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this was not the Gospel but the precious Blood of Christ who was a Lamb without blemish and without spot Those men are injurious to the Blood of Christ Mr. Sherlock who attribute no more to it than a non-imputation of sin That by his death Christ Dr. Owen Com. 193. bearing and undergoing the punishment due to us paying the ransom due for us delivered us from the wrath and curse of God And thus by Christ's death all cause of quarrel is taken away But then this will not complete our acceptation the old quarrel may be laid aside and yet no new friendship begun we may be not sinners and yet not so far righteous as to have a right to the Kingdom of heaven So that the Blood of Christ only makes us innocent delivers us from guilt and punishment but if we will take the Doctor 's word for it it can give us no title to Glory this is owing to the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness to the Obedience of his Life But you see the Scripture gives us a quite different account of it we are said to be justified and redeemed by the Blood of Christ nay We have boldness to enter into the holiest by the Blood of Jesus Heb. 10.19 which is an allusion to the high Priest's entring into the Holy of Holies which was a Type of Heaven with the blood of the Sacrifice Thus by the Blood of Christ we have admission into heaven it self though the Dr. says That the Blood of Christ makes us innocent but cannot give us a Title to Heaven The Scripture takes no notice of their artificial Methods That the guilt of sin is taken away by the death of Christ and that we are made righteous by his Righteousness But the Blood of Christ is said to justifie us and to give us admission into the holiest of all into heaven it self nay we are made righteous by the death of Christ too 2 Cor. 5.21 For he hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in
his death and sufferings because this was the subject of his discourse but yet these expressions His righteousness and obedience seem to take in the whole compass of his obedience in doing and suffering the Will of God and the meaning of the words is this That as God was so highly displeased with Adam's sin that he entailed a great many evils and miseries and death it self upon his posterity for his sake So God was so well pleased with the obedience of Christ's life and death that he bestows the rewards of Righteousness on those who according to the rigor of the Law are not righteous that for Christ's sake he hath made a new Covenant of Grace which pardons our past sins and rewards a sincere though imperfect obedience For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be made righteous is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shall be justified That is treated like righteous persons So that Christ's Righteousness is not the formal cause of our justification that very Righteousness whereby we are righteous But it is the meritorious cause of that Covenant whereby we are declared Righteous and rewarded as Righteous for the Apostle tells us in vers 17. who those are who are thus justified by Christ and shall reign with him in life not those who are Righteous by the imputation of Christ's Righteousness But those who have received abundance of Grace and the gift of Righteousness that is who by the Gospel which is the abundant grace of God are made holy and righteous as God is which Righteousness is called a gift because it is not owing solely to humane endeavours but is wrought in us by supernatural means We are made righteous by the Righteousness of Christ not that his actual obedience is reckoned as done by us which is impossible But because we are made righteous both in a proper and forensick sence by the Gospel-Covenant which is wholly owing to Gods Grace and Christ's Merits and Righteousness So that the Righteousness of Christ is our Righteousness when we speak of the foundation of the Covenant by which we are accepted but if we speak of the terms of the Covenant then we must have a righteousness of our own for the Righteousness of Christ will not serve the turn Christ's Righteousness and our own are both necessary to our Salvation the first as the foundation of the Covenant the other as the condition of it We are now arrived at that famous place Answer as by the offence of one judgement came upon all to condemnation so by the Righteousness of one the free gift came upon all to justification of life as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Rom. 5.18 19. The Apostle here uses two words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Righteousness and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Obedience both these signifie the doing of God's Will which doing for its rectitude is called Righteousness and for its subjection Obedience neither of them do properly signifie suffering Meer suffering which is not spirited with a right and subjective mind is not Righteousness or Obedience The Apostle here speaks of Righteousness in general and Obedience in general and who may pare off ought and say it is not all Christ's Righteousness or Obedience but some especially when that some the passive I mean is less properly such than the active and what necessity or cogent reason is there for doing so The Antithesis in the Text evinces the contrary Act is here set in opposition against Act Christ's Obedience against Adam's Disobedience Now for what the Author alledges I say it is true that of Christ's being obedient Phil. 2.8 reaches down to his death but it takes in all the Obedience of his life and that of Christs doing Gods will Hebr. 10.7 extends to the Sacrifice of himself but it comprises all the righteousness of his life too It is true that the Apostle in this 5. Chapter to the Romans doth first speak of Christ's Death and Sufferings but his active and passive Obedience are so near in conjunction that the Apostle may in his discourse easily pass from the one to the other Nay as I before noted when the one is expressed in Scripture the other is implied so that the Apostle doth not indeed pass from one thing to another but only vary his Phrase The Author himself confesses That those expressions his righteousness and Obedience seem to take in the whole compass of his Obedience in doing and suffering the will of God And how doth the active and passive righteousness of Christ justify us or make us righteous Why these procured that Gospel Covenant whereby we are declared righteous and rewarded as righteous Now this Interpretation may stand good when justifying and procuring the Covenant shall be what they can never be one and the same thing Christs active and passive Obedience according to the Author procured the Covenant for all Men But surely they do not justify all Men. The whole Obedience of Christ may be confidered two wayes either as it is procurative of the Covenant and so it renders us justifiable or as is it received by Faith and so it actually justifies us But neither of these can be without a Divine imputation without that first fundamental imputation which is implied in such Scripture expressions as tell us that Christ died for us the Obedience of Christ could not have rendred us justifiable any more than it doth Devils and without that second particular imputation which is implied in such Scripture expressions as tell us That we are justified by Christs Blood that we are made righteous by Christ's Obedience the Obedience of Christ could not justify us for it justifies us not as it procures the Covenant that is done according to the Author for all Men and all Men are not justified but it justifies us as it is particularly made ours and made ours it cannot be without an Imputation According to the Author the Apostle must be interpreted thus By the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all unto Justification of life that is by the righteousness of one the Covenant was procured and so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous that is by the obedience of one the Covenant was procured But this Interpretation is so harsh and strange that I suppose few will be able to receive and own it But the Author tells us That the Apostle in ver 17. acquaints us who the justified are not those who are righteous by imputed righteousness but those who by the Gospel which is the grace of God are made righteous as God is But by the grace of God vers 17. is not meant the Gospel but the rich mercy of God and by the gift of righteousness there is not meant inherent graces but the righteousness of Christ which is made over to us by a gracious imputation the very same righteousness which is called the
therefore cannot be given to them for any precedent Grace in them or indeed for any reason at all in them unless which is very odd we presume them to be given to them for the goodness of their Nature The Scripture clearly resolves it into the Soveraign will of God He will have mercy on whom he will have mercy Rom. 9.18 He begets us of his own will Ja. 1.18 He begets us according to his abundant mercy 1 Pet. 1.3 He worketh to will to do of his good pleasure Ph. 2.13 Neither is it possible to be otherwise his love of Benevolence is the Fountain and great Origen of all the goodness in the Creature and how or which way shall the goodness of the Creature be the cause or reason of that love All the goodness in the Creature is but a donative of Divine love and if so then the Divine love was antecedent to that goodness in the Creature Now these things being clearly so in Scripture and reason I suppose there is little reason and less Religion to say That God loves for no reason or without reason that that Man is a Fool who loves at this rate that it is a reproach among Men so to Act with such other stuff which I pray God to forgive unto the Speaker If there be reason for any thing in the World there is for this That God the supream Donor should do what he would with his own That Man the poor Receiver should not expostulate with God or think to call him to an account for any of his matters That the regenerating Spirit should be at liberty and breath where it lists That all Gods gifts should be free and of his good pleasure there being in the Creature nothing that is good but what is a meer gift only But saith the Author This undermines the foundations of Religion if God love for no reason whether we obey him or disobey him it is all one if God love us our sins cannot hinder it if he love us not our holyness cannot alter him therefore all Religion is but in vain To which I answer This Argument runs upon two or three hypotheses which are untrue The Author supposes first that God's purpose or decretive love is what it is not the rule of our acting next that there is in God what indeed there is not some purpose or decree to bar some Men though never so holy out of Heaven And Thirdly That there is not what in truth there is a complacential love in God towards all holy Persons whoever they be Now these things are not so we say that God commands all in the Church to Repent and Believe that God hath made a general promise of Salvation to all that do so and withal that God hath a complacential love towards all holy persons whoever they be And these things considered surely Religion cannot be in vain or to no purpose As for the Philosophical nicety or verity rather if God be as he is a God and the supream Donor of all in reason all Creatures as Creatures must depend on him the Creator and as Receivers must depend on him the Donor And hence it is evident that all the grace and goodness in the Creature because a Creature must depend on him its Maker And because a gift must depend on him the Donor thereof Man though but a petty Benefactor is free in his gifts or else they would not be gifts how much more must God the supream Donor be so It is true when Men are good God such is the sanctity of his Nature doth take pleasure in them but to dispense grace or goodness to the Creature is his Royal prerogative he doth it according to the soveraign unaccountable pleasure of his will he was under no Natural necessity to give a Christ or a Gospel or a dram of Faith or holyness to any one fallen Man in the World what he gives he gives as he pleases out of meer Free grace It is true too when Men are good God such is his gracious promise will greatly reward them but it is he only who makes us good and so meet for the inheritance in light our goodness is of Grace and our reward is Grace upon Grace remunerating Grace upon sanctifying In a word the love of Gods Complacence respects goodness in the Creature but the love of Benevolence causes it and that freely in a way of unaccountable Soveraignty and this is so far from being a love without reason that without it it is impossible that there should be any goodness in the Creature Were there a goodness in the Creature antecedent to the love of his Benevolence it would be a beam without a Sun a gift without a Giver a strange independent self-originated goodness and that in the Creature which is as great an absurdity as can well be imagine Secondly Mr. Sherlock These Men tell us too that Christs love is immutable having once fixt his love upon us though without any reason he can never alter Sin it self cannot separate us from the Love of Christ If sin foreseen were not able to hinder him from planting his heart on us How then shall it that is sin committed be able to over-turn the thoughts of his heart when once they are fixed on us This is a strong fixed Love indeed which sin it self cannot alter But how wise and holy a Love it is let any man judge Herein Dr. Owen tells us the depth of Christs Love is to be contemplated that whereas his holy Soul hates every sin it is a burden an abomination a new wound to him and his poor Spouse that is sinful Believers are full of sin failings infirmities he hides all covers all bears all rather than he will loose them He adds indeed by his power preserving them from such sins as a remedy is not provided for in the Covenant of Grace I suppose he means the sin against the holy Ghost for there is a remedy provided for all other sins in the Covenant of Grace and all other sins a Believer it seems may be guilty of and Christ will hide all rather than lose him Now this is as down-right Antinomianism as ever Dr. Crisp or Saltmarsh vented There have been and are to this day a great many wise learned men who contend for the perseverance of the Saints that those who are once in a state of Grace shall always continue so But then they found this not on such an immutable Love as sin it self cannot alter for this is not reconcilable with the Holiness of the Divine Nature nor with those threatnings in Scripture against such back-sliders When the righteous man turneth away from his Righteousness and committeth iniquity and doth according to all the abominations that a wicked man doth he shall dye Ezek. 18.24 If any man turn back my soul shall have no pleasure in him which is a plain demonstration the truth of which is which is acknowledged by all sober Writers that if