truth A shrewd nip if you marke it to you learned Doctors Preachers of the Citie of London who are great pretenders to the truth and yet the nearer that hee is come to the truth and makes his unlearned followers able to see it to the bottom as he hath often told us the further off hee is from your approbation If hee be thus bold and ready to nip you who doe not approve his opinion it is no marvaile that his rude followers doe lay all slaunders reproach and aspersions on us who oppose him and charge him with Socinian haeresie and blasphemy whom they admire and proclaime to bee the great light of GODS Church in these last dayes Socinianisme Foure things there are especially which much commend an Interpretation when they are found in conjunction and establish it like that King upon his Throne Prov. 36.31 against whom there is no rising up First if the Letter or Grammar of the Scripture will fairely and strongly beare it 2º If the scope of the place will close directly and intirely with it 3º When the interpretation which is set up against it cannot stand before the circumstances of the text 4º And lastly when the judgement of able learned and unpartiall men are found in concurrence with it If these foure be sufficient to furnish out an interpretation with authority and power then shall wee need no more Scriptures to prove the innocency of our affirmative viz. the imputation of faith for righteousnes the truth of the negative inseparably accompanying it but that one Chapter onely Rom. 4. Christianisme IN these wordes hee makes his enterance into the disputing of the point before propounded to wit faith in a proper sense is imputed for righteousnes in justification which speech excludes the righteousnes of Christ from being the onely righteousnes by which being communicated and imputed to true beleevers they are justified and stand righteous before GOD. First he propounds foure things which when they are found in coniunction with an interpretation of any Scripture they commend and establish it as he saith like that King upon his Throne against whom there is no rising up Prov. 30.31 These foure things First the literal sense strongly bearing it Secondly the scope of the place concurring Thirdly the inconsistence of the circumstances of the place with the interpretation which is contrary Fourthly the Judgement of able learned men agreeing with it these I say may passe for current But whether that one place of Scripture in the interpretation whereof these concurre bee alone without more Scriptures sufficient to prove the innocency of an assertion which is agreeable to that interpretation is a question many interpretations seeme to have all these and yet are contradicted by other Scriptures as that place Hosea 11.1 When Israel was a child out of Egypt have I called my Sonne being interpreted of the Nation of the Israelites was borne up by the letter concurred with the scope and circumstances more then many contrary expositors and all the learned and able Jewes so understood it and yet the Gospell expounds it another way Mat. 2.15 The place of Scripture upon the interpretation whereof established by these foure things hee intends to build his whole dispute in this Chapter is the fourth Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans so that his proofes by which hee goeth about to set the royall Crowne which is due to Christ and his righteousnes on the head of mans imperfect faith are according to these foure things divided into foure rankes First he undertakes to prove that the Letter of that Scripture Rom. 4. doth beare up his interpretation to wit that faith in it selfe and in a proper sense is said to bee imputed for righteousnes in justification Secondly by the scope of the place Thirdly by shewing that the circumstances of that Scripture cannot beare the Doctrine of Christs righteousnes imputed Fourthly by the judgement and testimonies of able learned and unpartiall men But how poorely he performes his undertakings and how pitifully hee faileth in them wee shall in the progresse shew That his disputation is like to be very Illogicall we may gather from the foule flaw which appeares in his Logicke in this his first enterance where hee saith wee need no more Scriptures to prove the innocency of our affirmative viz. the imputation of faith for righteousnes the truth of the negative inseparably accompanying it but that Chapter onely Rom. 4. First it is against all true reason and Logicke that the affirmative should be innocent from untruth and that the negative which is opposed to it should have truth accompanying it If his affirmative faith is imputed for righteousnesse in a proper sense be true then the negative must needs be false to wit faith in a proper sense is not imputed But perhaps by the negative he doth not meane the negative of his affirmative but some other negative proposition the subject whereof is different from the subject of his affirmative His hatred and envy against Christs righteousnesse least it should get the Crowne from faith is so great that wee may well conceive that by the negative hee in heart meanes this Christs righteousnes is not imputed in justification which if hee doth wee cannot but blame him for speaking ambiguously which Logick in a disputation abhorreth But I leave his trifling and come to the ground and foundation of his discourse even that fourth Chapter of the Epistle to the Romans on which he labours to build his hereticall opinion The words of that Chapter which seeme most to favour him are these Verse 3. Abraham beleeved GOD and it was counted to him for righteousnes and verse 5. To him that beleeveth his faith is counted for righteousnes and verse 9. For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousnes That the truth may more plainly appeare and the contrary falshoode and errour be made more fully manifest I will first lay down the true orthodoxe exposition of the words which is according to the common judgement of the most godly learned and judicious Divines of the best reformed Churches Secondly I will truely rehearse the corrupt exposition of the Apostles wordes made by the hereticke Socinus and his followers the Arminians and other fanaticall Sectaries unto which this adversary adheres and grounds his whole disputation upon it The orthodox exposition I will illustrate and confirme by the scope and circumstances of the rext and by arguments drawne from other Scriptures The corrupt exposition also I will prove to be false and hereticall And afterwards I will proceed to answer this adversaries discourse in every particular The true Exposition explained FIrst these wordes that Abraham beleeved GOD and it was counted to him for righteousnes are generally held to be improper and tropicall and that the meaning of them is not that Abrahams faith or act of beleeving by it selfe in a proper sense was counted to him for righteousnes but that the object of his faith even that
righteous because the Scripture saith Abraham believed GOD and it was imputed to him for righteousnes So that of Saint Iames may be believed faith is not the righteousnesse for which man is accepted with GOD as the Socinians teach but that by which man obteines the testimony of righteousnes as Iustine Martyr understands this phrase Now that Christ and his fulfilling of the law is truely and properly the righteousnes by which all believers are justified constituted and made righteous before GOD the Scriptures do in proper literall speech as well as improperly more often affirme as Isa. 61.10 Rom. 3.24 Rom. 4 6. Rom. 5.17 18 19· Rom. 8.4 and 10.3.4 and Phil. 3.9 and 1 Cor. 1.30 and 2 Cor. 5.24 these twelve places do plainely teach and affirme that the righteousnes by which men are made and constituted righteous in iustification is Christs obedience and satisfaction made to the Law for our redemption and nine of them are proper speeches so that here wee see the communion of Christs righteousnesse which hee opposeth hath more authority and countenance from the Scripture and more full expresse and pregnant testimony from the letter of it If I should instance in other truths of Religion as that there is one true GOD even Jehovah and none beside him or that hee created all things or concerning the deity of Christ and of the holy Ghost or concerning redemption by Christ or the last Iudgment resurrection and life eternall ten expresse and pregnant testimonies of Scripture might be brought to prove any one of them for every one wherein imputation of faith is named So that here we see what he cannot proue by argument he goeth about by impudent outfaceing to impose upon his hearers and readers But let us examine the proofe of this bold assertion even his assumption which certainely is as poore weake and begerly as his forehead is strong like brasse in impudent affirming it The letter of the Scripture saith hee affirmes it plainely once and twice yea a third and fourth time Therefore it is most certainely true To this I answere that the letter of the Scripture affirmes that faith and believing was counted to Abraham and is to other believers but not in a proper sense but tropically and so many things are often affirmed by the letter of the Scripture which if we understand them in a proper sense are most false as for example GOD is said to repent Gen 6. two severall times to wit ver 6.7 and Ier. 26. three severall times viz. ver 3 13.19 and Amos 7.3 6. and Iud 2.18 and 1 Sam. 15.11 Psal. 135.14 Ier. 18.10 with many more So likewise an hand and armes and eyes and mouth are often attributed by the letter of the Scripture to GOD which speeches if wee should understand in a proper sense they would prove a killing letter to us therefore this is a most absurd and ridiculous proofe well beseeming the thing which it is brought to prove And as he falters in his Logick and his reasons so he shewes ignorance of rhethorik for he takes it for a certaine truth that one phrase foure times used must needs be taken in a proper literall sense But rhetorik would have taught him that to use divers tropicall speeches together is an Allegory and elegancy of speech often used in Scripture as the places last cited shew To which let me add one most pregnant instance Gal. 3. where the word faith in a discourse of justification is used ten times in an improper sense for the Gospel which is the word of faith and teacheth iustification by Christ and by believing in him and not by our owne workes which the Law requires to wit verses 3 5 7 8 9 12 14 22 23 25. Now it may be he perceived little strength in his argument brought for his imputation of faith notwithstanding his great braggs and therefore he shootes one fooles bolt against the imputation of Christs righteousnes which is an argument or syllogisme consisting of an assumption without a proposition or a conclusion expressed but I can coniecture what he meant to conclude namely that the imputation of Christs righteousnes in iustification is a mere faction and ought not to be believed The imputation of Christs righteousnesse in that sense which many magnifie hath not the least reliefe either from sound of words or light of letter in the Scripture To which I answer first that if this were granted which is most false yet it doth not follow that faith alone in a proper sense is imputed Ridiculum caput saith he in the Comedie quasi necesse sit si justitia Christi non dicitur imputari fidem reputari pro justitia It is a ridiculous conceipt to thinke that if Christs righteousnes be not imputed therefore faith alone in a proper sense must be said to bee imputed David tells us that Phinees his executing of iudgement was imputed to him for righteousnes and Saint Iames saith that Abraham was iustified by works not by faith alone why then are not works as well as faith imputed But secondly I answer that his assertion is most false and I prove it from the very wordes of the Apostle in the 4. Chapter verse 6. where he saith that to the blessed man righteousnes is imputed without workes and verse 11. where he gathereth that to the beleeving Gentiles though uncircumcised righteousnes shal be imputed Now faith is not righteousnes as hee himselfe confesseth for righteousnes is perfect conformity to GODS law this is not to bee found in all the world but only in Christ he alone hath in mans nature fulfilled the law As for faith evē in Abrahā himselfe it was stained with many doubtings and feares at some times as when he called his wife his sister for better safety and so it is in the best beleevers Beleeving also is but a dutie and a worke of obedience to the Law but this which is here said to bee imputed is a righteousnes without workes or any thing performed in our owne persons therefore faith is not the righteousnes which is here said to be imputed but the righteousnes of Christ apprehended by faith and couched under the name of faith and beleeving Socinianisme SEcondly the scope of the place rejoyceth also in this interpretation that faith should be taken properly in all those passages cited and from tropes and metonymies it turneth it selfe away It is apparent to the circumspect Reader that the Apostles maine intent and drift in this whole discourse of justification was to hedge up with thornes as it were that false way of justification which lay through workes and to put men from attempting any going that way and to open and discover the true way of justification wherein men shall not faile to attain that Law of righteousnes before GOD that is in plaine speech to make knowne unto them what they must doe and what GOD requireth of them to their justification and what he will accept at their hands this
Therefore wheresoever whether in the Homilies of our Church or in other Authors we meet with any such expressions of the righteousnes of Christ imputed in justification wee must not understand this righteousnesse of Christ in the letter propriety and formality of it but in the Spirit or merit of it to be imputed And this manner of speech to put the name of a thing in the propriety of it instead of the value worth benefit and returne of it is both usuall and familiar in ordinary passage of discourse amongst us and very frequent in the Scriptures when we say a Merchant grew rich by such or such a commodity our meaning is that hee grew rich by the gaine or returne of it hee may be made rich by the commodity and yet have never a whit of it with him so when we say such a man grew rich by his place or office our meaning is that he grew rich by such gaine or profit as his office afforded him we do not meane that the place it selfe or office were his riches so it may be said that wee are justified by the righteousnesse of Christ and yet not have the righteousnesse it selfe upon us by imputation or otherwise but onely a righteousnesse procured and purchased by it really and essentially differing from it viz. remission of sinnes as will appeare in due time Thus in the Scriptures themselves there is no figure or forme of speech more frequent then to name the thing it selfe in the propriety of it in the stead of the fruite of it good or bad benefit or losse vantage or disadvantage merit or demerit of it Thus Iob 33.26 GOD is said to render unto man his righteousnesse the fruit and benefit of his righteousnesse in the favour of GOD and manifestation of it in his deliverance and restauration the righteousnesse it selfe in the propriety of it cannot bee rendered unto him So Ephes. 6.8 Whatsoever good thing any man doth the same hee shall receive of the LORD hee shall receive benefit and consideration from GOD for it so Reve. 14.12 and 13.10 here is the patience and faith of the Saints that is the benefit and unspeakable reward of the faith and patience of the Saints to bee seene when the Beast and all that worship him shall bee tormented in fire and brimstone for evermore and those that have constantly suffered for not worshiping him shall be delivered from drinking of that bitter cup so Psal. 128.2 Thou shalt eate the labour of thy hands that is the fruite of thy labour So on the other hand Heb. 9.28 To those that looke for him hee shall appeare the second time without sin without the guilt or punishment of sinne charged upon him Gen. 19.15 Least thou be destroyed in the iniquitie of the citie that is in that judgement which fell upon them by meanes of their iniquity In such a construction of speech as the holy Ghost himselfe useth in these and such passages in Scripture the righteousnesse of Christ may be said to be the righteousnes by which we are justified or which is imputed unto us in justification Christianisme THis fifth part or passage is nothing else but first the propounding of a new and strange imputation of Christs righteousnesse contrary to sense and reasoÌ„ to the common signification of the phrase of imputing righteousnesse or counting a thing for righteousnesse Secondly a wresting and abusing of some speeches of Scripture and learned writers that hee may father on them an opinion which they abhorred and in expresse words disclaimed and confuted First hee saith that the phrase of imputing Christs righteousnesse is by Luther Calvin and other Divines taken unproperly and out of the usuall and formall signification for the giving and bestowing of the returne that is the priviledges blessings and benefits which are purchased by Christs righteousnesse for men and the meaning can be no more but this that GOD justifies a believer for Christs righteousnesse sake and not for any righteousnes of his owne To this I answere First that this signification of the phrase is so unproper unusual deformed that it is never found in all the Scriptures nor any approved Author as hereafter I shall make manifest onely Socinus they of his faction are coiners and forgers of such strange barbarismes Secondly it is so contrary to common sense and reason that if any man should say the Sun the ayre or other Elements are imputed to us by GOD because GOD hath given us the benefit of them every man would laugh at such a barbarisme even the most simple would discerne it to be ridiculous If Master Goodwin or any of his disciples comeing into some country house for shelter from some cruel tempest which overtooke him as hee travelled on his journy should for the benefit which hee received under the mans roofe presently chaleng that the house is imputed to him and is to be counted his and set on his skore it is a thousand to one that the owner of the house would take him for a mad man and put a fooles feather in his cap or cast him out of the doores by the head and shoulders for a sawcy companion hee had not best therefore use such speeches nor write such phrases with his pen for if they once proceed out of his mouth and come to other mens eares hee will thereby purchase to himselfe much scorne and derision But let us proceed to examine the instances by which hee goeth about to proue this strange signification of the word imputing righteousnesse wherein righteousnesse is put for the fruit of it by a metonymie of the cause for the effect imputing is put for bestowing by a new Socinian trope and GODS bestowing for mans receiving by a monstrous metonymie of one opposit for another I wonder here by the way how this man who disclaimes in the next Chapter the Apostles using of tropes and figures in the waighty Doctrine of justification and calles it a monster of speech to use two tropes in one phrase dares here make in this one phrase so many tropes and monstrous figures The first instance which hee brings to prove that Calvin did use the phrase in this signification is this GOD freely justifies us by imputing Christs obedience to us and againe a man is not righteous in himselfe but because the righteousnesse of Christ is communicated and imparted to him by imputation I might here blame his false quotations to wit Instit. 1. c 3.1.11 and 1.2.17 and 1.3.14.17 In which places no such wordes are to be found but I willingly embrace these words as Calvins for they are most cleare and manifest to prove that GOD not onely give us the returne or benefits of Christs righteousnesse but also doth by imputation communicate and impart to us the righteousnesse it selfe so that if this man had studied all his dayes to contradict his owne opinion and to confute his forged signification hee could not have found more ful plaine and pâ—rspicuous
and beleeving which wee on our part must performe for iustification life and salvation And hereby they abolish the freedome of the new Covenant and make it a Covenant conditionall and not of free grace For what soever is covenanted-and promised upon a condition to be performed is not absolutely free nor freely given and so according to their Doctrine they that are iustified by faith are not freely iustified by grace whereas they plead Scripture for their errour and alledge that iustification and life is promised upon condition of beleeving If you beleeve you shall be saved I answer that this is a grosse and absurd mistake For every conditionall proposition doth not propound the conditition of a Covenant which the party to whom a thing is promised must performe that the promise may bee made good to him for such a condition whensoever it is performed makes the thing covenanted a due debt which the promiser is bound to give But oftentimes a conditionall proposition propounds the meanes by which a free gift is received or the qualification by which one is made capable and fit to receive and enjoy a free gift as for example it is often said in Scripture if yee will heare and hearken yee shall eate the good of the land and shall live and not be destroyed Isay 1.19 Ier. 26.3 and many other places If we love one another GOD dwelleth in us 1 Iohn 4. If we walke in the light we have fellowship one with another 1 Iohn 1.2 If we confesse our sinnes hee is faithfull and just to forgive 1 Iohnâ— 9 If a man be just and do that which is right he shall surely live Ezech 18.5.21 In all which and the like places there is no condition of the Covenant propounded but onely the way and meanes to receive blessing or the quality condition by which men are made capable and fit to enjoy the blessing and somtimes the signes tokens and effects of them that are in a blessed estate And even so when GODS word saith If you believe yee shall be saved There is no condition of the Covenant propounded to be performed on our part for justification and salvation but onely the qualification by which GOD of his free grace doth qualify and fit us to be iustified and saved and the meanes by which hee enables us to receive righteousnes and to lay hold on salvation which is freely given to us in Christ. Vpon these particulars severally observed out of their owne words and writings I strongly conclude that this opinion being builded upon such a blasphemous and Hereticall ground and upheld and maintained by such blasphemous arguments must needs be most impious Hereticall and blasphemous Having already proved the Socinian and Arminian opinion to be most false and abominable I proceed to answere the particular arguments contained in this 2. Chapter which was by the Authors owne hand delivered unto me to be answered And because he and his followers shall not complaine of misrelating any of his words I will as I have done in the former Chapter first lay downe his owne words Socinianisme THe first argument brought to prove that faith and believing are in a proper sense Rom. 4. said to be imputed to the believer for righteousnes in justification and not the righteousnes of Christ. First the letter of this Scripture speakes what we affirme plainely and speakes no parable about it yea it speakes it once and twice yea it speakes it the third and fourth time and is not ashamed of it Abraham beleeved GOD and it was imputed to him for righteousnes verse 3. Againe to him that worketh not but believeth in him that justifieth the ungodly his Faith is counted to him for righteousnes verse 5. And yet againe verse 22. And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousnes The same phrase and expression is used also verse 23.24 Certainely there is not any truth in religion not any article of our beliefe that can boast of the letter of the Scripture more full expresse and pregnant for it what is maintained concerning the imputation of faith hath all the authority and countenance from the Scriptures that wordes can lightly give whereas the imputation of Christs righteousnes in that sense which many magnifie hath not the least reliefe either from any sound of wordes or sight of letter in the Scripture Christianisme HIs first argument reduced into the forme of a syllogisme runs thus That opinion which hath the Letter of the Scripture more full expresse and pregnant for it then any truth in religion or article of our beliefe and hath all the authority and countenance from the Scripture that wordes can lightly give is certainely true This opinion concerning the imputation of faith in a proper sense is such Therefore it is a true and sound opinion That this imputation of faith may boast of the letter of Scripture and of all the authority and countenance that wordes can give hee proves because the letter of the Scripture speakes it once twice yea thrice and foure times to wit in this Chapter Rom. verse 3.5 22 23 24. to which I will adde a fift time verse 9. The more true that the proposition is the more false is the assumption wherein hee assumes most falsely to his opinion that which in no wise belongs to it and thereupon inferres a most false conclusion I answere therefore that his assumption is an heap of impudent lyes First the killing letter of the Scripture may give some countenance to it that is speeches of Scripture understood and urged literally which are spoken by GODS spirit tropically and in a figure This Saint Austin calls the killing letter because they who take the words properly and so urge them obstinately they slay their owne soules But the true literall sense of the wordes which are improperly literall will never give any countenance to this hereticall opinion as I have shewed before most fully 2 I cannot but accuse him here of most intollerable impudency in that he affirmes that this most Hereticall opinion hath more full expresse and pregnant testimony from the letter of the Scripture then any truth in Religion or any article of Religion and hath all the authority and countenance from the Scripture that words can give when as in all the Scripture faith is not once said to be imputed for righteousnes in a proper sense in all the word of GOD and is onely seven times said to be counted or imputed for righteousnes and that tropically while the Apostle useth the phrase borrowed from that improper speech which is spoken of Abraham Gen. 15.6 That when Abraham believed GOD he counted it to him for righteousnes For it is manifest that in this Chapter he altogether insists upon that speech and doth but repeat it six times and so likewise Gal. 3.6 Saint Iames also once useth it speaking of declarative justification to prove that Abraham was justified by workes Iam. 2.23 that is declared before men to be
dispersed it in London and from thence into severall places of the Countrie about 28. yeares agoe was Anthony Wotton who being discovered and hotly opposed by the Author of this answer was by his zeale and the industrie of some other Preachers in London quickly quelled and his opinion suppressed but yet because he would uphold a secret faction he wrote a booke in Latine wherein he seemed to retract or rather to run from some desperate opinions and speeches which are to bee seene in his private manuscripts given by him from hand to hand and formerly dispersed For whereas in divers of them he professeth in plaine words his dissent from all our Orthodox Divines which had beene before written of Justification saying I am inforced to dissent from them all He in that booke laboured to make a shew of consent with them and did wrest some of their doubtfull speeches to countenance his Socinianisme This booke intituled De Reconciliatione some of his fiery factious and zealous disciples with much difficulty after it was rejected at Leiden and Amsterdam procured it to be printed at their owne cost brought over the Copies and sold them under hand in London And out of it wee may justly suspect that this Scribler and babler hath stollen the most part of his conclusions arguments and distinctions for I am informed that he is a great admirer of that book and of the Author also So that if this Socinian Iohn will and must needs have and usurpe that high Title which our Saviour gave to Iohn the Baptist and will bee called as his disciples stick not to stile him the shining light of the Church in these last dayes Surely he is but a borrowed light or rather a wandring light like that ignis fatuus which in darke nights leadeth the followers into ditches loggs praecipces and breakneck downfalls as the Philosophers write of it For the recalling of the ignorant who are by him seduced for the confounding of them who are by him perverted and for the stopping of the foule lying and slanderous mouthes of those factious sectaries his followers of a scarred conscience who as they have his person in high admiration so also are bold to revise and defame all godly and learned Preachers who oppose his errours and preach against them I will spend a few spare houres to sift his written discourse at least so much of it as is come to my hands hoping by evidence of truth plaine Scriptures solid reasons and testimonies of the best writers to make it manifest to GODS people that he is a mere Socinian Sophister and dangerous seducer and that his discourse is an hotch potch of pestilent errours and full of â—eâ—giversations contradictions and perverse wrestlings of Scriptures and of the words and writings both of Ancient and moderne Divines And that neither he himselfe nor his clamarous disciples may have the least colour or occasion to complaine that I have not dealt fairely with him I will first set downe his Socinianisme word for word out of his owne writings without concealing any word or sentence And to every part thereof I will oppose the contrary doctrine of Christ under the name of Christianisme And first I begin with his preface with which he begins his first Chapter The Preface to Socinianisme FOr the cleare understanding of the state and drift of the question something would be premised which for the evidence sake might be privileddg and exempted from passing under much dispute and contradiction yet if any thing be not sufficiently prepared for assent in the briefe proposall of it the ensuing discourse will labour to reconcile the disproportion And in the progresse make satisfaction for what it shall receive upon curtesie in the beginning The Answer to the Preface THis short Preface doth by the affected stile and phrase of it discover the Author to bee one who hath studied to preach himselfe more then Christ and to set forth his owne absurd conceits in the entising words of carnall wisedome not to declare the Testimony of GOD in Apostolicall plainenesse nor in demonstration of the Spirit and of power as Saint Paul did The loftie words and short cut speech which hee useth here and in this ensuing discourse are so farre beyond the capacity of his rude unlearned followers that his wooden pulpit shall assoone as they understand them unlesse he first teach them his Grammaticall skill before hee admit them into his Theologicall auditorie But belike hee knowes the ready way to catch the wavering unstable and giddie multitude those wandering Starres of these last times who are like clowdes without water carried about with windes of every new and strange Doctrine and of all people are the fittest to bee his disciples For the mouth which speaketh great swelling words is admired of them who have mens persons in admiration and farre fetcht phrases are fine fooleries to tickle the itching eares and win the hearts of such as desire to seeme and bee counted something when indeed they are nothing but bubbles and empty bladders who as they admire every bewitching Simon Magus as the great power of GOD and extoll to the Skies his most cursed errours So they abhorre and revile all sincere and godly Preachers rebukers of their madnesse blaspheme GODS word in their mouthes and speake evill of the good things which they understand not untill in the gainsaying of Core they utterly perish Moreover to give him his due he appeares to mee in his stile and phrase a very skilfull Artist in his owne way as cunning as the subtle Serpent in cloathing and trimming his strange Doctrines with strange conceited words fited to them by which they who affect strange novelties may easily be allured and insnared But when the children of truth hunt him by the smell and strong savours of his rankling errours which stink as well as fret like an eating Cancer and are ready to catch him hee doth by his inkhorne termes so obscure and darken his meaning that onely they who have a sharp quick and strong sight can lay fast and sure hold on him Wee may well resemble him to the crafty fish Sepia of which we read that when she is pursued and ready to be taken she spueth forth a black inke wherewith she darkneth the waters round about and so escapes away in thick darknesse through which she cannot be seene and discerned But to omit his stile and to come to the matter of his preface it is a promise and pretence of somewhat by him premised which shall serve for the cleare understanding of the state of the question and for evidence sake might be priviledged from passing under much dispute and contradiction but hoc aliquid nihil est this something is nothing we find no performance of promise nor truth in what hee pretendeth neither his briefe proposall nor his ensuing discourse gives us any satisfaction neither can his beginning progresse or ending receive from us any thing upon curtesie For if
no man can be legally justified but by his owne personall righteousnesse Evangelicall righteousnesse is CHRISTS perfect righteousnesse and fulfilling of the Law in the behalfe of all the elect and faithfull It was not the Law nor our works of the Law which moved GOD to give CHRIST to be our surety and redeemer but he of his owne free love and bounty gave Christ and Christ the Sonne of GOD out of his love humbled himselfe to become man and to fulfill the law for us Neither doe wee obtaine Communion of Christs satisfaction and righteousnesse by the workes of the Law but by the Gospell preached believed as the Apostle teacheth Gal. 3.2 And therefore though Christ his righteousnes be a perfect fulfilling of all obedience which the law requires of man GOD did exact of him every farthing of our debt both in active and passive obedience and in respect of the matter and substance his satisfaction may be called after a sort legall and is so called by Luther yet as it was for us not for himselfe and performed by him our head not by every one of us in our owne persons and is received and applied by Faith not by our workes of the Law and is brought unto us by the Gospell not by the Law and is given to us freely by GODS grace not merited or procured by any thing in our selves so it is not legall but Evangelicall and GODS justifying of us and counting us righteous by it is not a proceeding upon legall grounds nor pronouncing us legally just as this calumniator doth either foolishly imagine or falsely slander and misreport our Doctrine Fiftly in arguing for his owne false and forged sense of the word Justification he hath three reasons all which are for us and prove our Doctrine not his opinion For if this make a sense of the word Justification good because it doth intimate the former guiltinesse of him that is justified as wel as it doth discharge him from all punishment which is his first reason then is our Doctrine of justification by imputation of Christs satisfaction for all our sinnes very good and sound for it intimates a guiltinesse in him who is to bee iustified as well as a discharge from punishment Secondly we doe not plead for our iustification any consideration according to the Law that is wee doe not plead our owne innocency nor satisfaction and righteousnes performed in our own persons but we plead more then somewhat done for us even all Christs obedience active and passive by GODS free grace communicated to us not obtained or merited by our works of the law Thirdly though the law iustifies no sinner but threatens the curse death and condemnation as the due reward of the transgressors of it Yet it iustifies all who are free from all sinnes committed against it and are made righteous by the perfect fulfilling of it to the utmost And therefore when the Gospell hath brought us to the Communion of Christs full satisfaction by which we are made free from all sinne and perfect fulfillers of the law in him our head as GOD doth forgive us our sinnes and counts us righteous so the law is no more against us 1 Tim. 1.9 but is witnesse for us that in Christ we are worthy of remission and iustification By this are manifest the grosse errours and absurdities which he uttereth in this first part of his preparative Chapter But that his ignorance in the Doctrine of justification may more fully appeare I will lay downe the severall significations of the words justification and justifying wherein the Spirit of God doth use them in the holy Scriptures First the word iustifie and iustification signifie making men righteous or constituting or seting them in the state of righteousnesse This signification is justified by several testimonies of Scripture as Rom. 5.19 Where many are said to be made or constituted righteous by the obedience of Christ even as by Adams disobedience many were made sinners and 1 Cor. 1.30 and 2 Cor. 5.21 Where Christ is said to bee made unto us righteousnesse and wee are said to be made the righteousnesse of God in him And Rom. 3.24 and 4 5. Where we are said to be iustified freely by his grace through the redemption which is in Christ. And God is said to justifie the ungodly which cannot be meant of counting judging and pronouncing but of making them righteous by the Communion of Christs righteousnesse For to iustifie the wicked by judging and pronouncing them righteous without making them such is aoâ—mination to the LORD Prov. 17.15 And in this sense Preachers of GODS Word are as instruments under GOD said to iustifie many by bringing them unto righteousnesse and are called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iustifiers Dan. 12.3 This iustifying wee may very fitly call radicall or fundamentall iustification This Luther and other learned Divines call actionem individuam because it is GODS action of communicating Christs righteousnesse in a moment and not by degrees successively and in it men are mere patients and do not worke with GOD no more then Adam did in GODS first creating of him upright in his Image Even regenerate Infants may thus be iustified and are iustified before they actually beleeve Secondly the word iustifie signifieth GODS iustifying of men by Faith that is his counting and reputing them righteous upon their actuall beleeving and his enableing them to feele themselves partakers of the righteousnesse of Christ and to enioy it by Faith in this sense the word is used Rom. 4. Where GOD is said to iustifie us by imputing righteousnesse and counting Faith for righteousnesse that is counting a true beleever a righteous person And thus the word is to bee taken where we are said to bee iustified by Faith without the workes of the Law The Apostle doth much urge and presse this iustification Rom 4 and Gal. 3. because though in this taken actively GOD onely acteth yet taken passively as it is received of us and we by Faith feele and discerne in what account we are with GOD and by beleeving enioy Christs satisfaction for remission of sinnes and for righteousnes wee may be said to worke with GOD by way of receiving as a begging hand doth in receiving gifts freely given and put into it This iustifying doth necessarily presuppose the former and doth assure us of it For the iust GOD whose iudgement is according to truth cannot râ—pute us righteous till we have communion of Christs righteousnesse and be thereby truly righteous And this Justification Divines call imputative It springs from the former as from the root and is builded on it as on the foundation Thirdly this word iustifie signifies a manifesting and declaring of men to be righteous and iustified and that three wayes First in foro conscientiae in the court or iudgement of our own conscience when a man being troubled in his conscience with the sight of his sinnes and his want of righteousnesse after humble prayer and poenitent seeking
saying To us a Child is borne and to us a Son is given Thirdly as he denies the satisfaction of Christ to be imputed to us so he denies the imputation of our sinnes to Christ and that very closely and cunningly under colour of that challenge which Christ made to the Iewes which of you can convince me of sinne For our Saviour speakes of sinne committed by himselfe and such aspersion none can say upon him But all our iniquities GOD laid upon him and he bare all our sinnes Esa. 53. And was made sinne for us 2 Cor. 5 21. and to cast this aspersion of all our sinnes on him is a sure foundation of the peace and safety of the Church In the second proposition hee doth most notoriously aequivocate and play the Hypocrite First in that he seemes to acknowledg the sacrifice of Christ to be an attonement and satisfaction for the world and a propitiatory sacrifice for the sinne of it Secondly in that he denyeth his Lord and Master Socinus and calles the Spirit which wrought in him a Spirit of error whereas indeed he himselfe is lead by the same Spirit and doth deny Christ to be the propitiatory sacrifice for our sinnes as far as Socinus ever did For in a propitiatory sacrifice offered to purge sinne and to make attonement there were three necessary requisits First the thing offered must be of his owne proper goods for whom it was offered so the Law required and therefore David durst not offer for his sinne that which was not his owne Purchased with his money 2. Sam. 24 24. Secondly the owner whose expiatory sacrifice it was did lay his hand upon the head of the Beast which was to be offered and thereby in a type imposed all his sinne and guilt upon it so that it became 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his guilt Levit 5 6. and Exod. 30.10 and did beare upon it all his sins Lev. 16.22 Thirdly this sacrifice offered up by the Priest in that manner which GOD praescribed in the Law GOD accepted as a propitiation for him it was set on his skore and covered his sinne as the Hebrew words signifie Levit. 1.4 He who denies any one of these overthrowes the sacrifice of attonement Now this dissembler doth with Socinus deny all these things in Christs offering of himselfe a sacrifice of attonement to purge sinne First he denies the true reall Spirituall union betweene Christ and the persons pardoned and justified by which Christ and they are made one body and hee is their head and they his members For if he and the faithfull be one then all his goods are theirs and their debts are his and his satisfaction and righteousnesse is theirs and is set on their skore which he denyeth and altogether opposeth and so denyes their interest and propriety in Christ and their union with him as his Master Wotton did in expresse word In his Essayes of Justification Secondly he also denieth that the sinnes of the faithfull were layd on Christ and imputed to him and in this he chargeth GOD with notorious injustice who laid the punishments of all our sinnes on Christ without the sinnes For he saith that Christ bare the punishmeÌ„ts though hee had no share in our sinnes by any imputation Thirdly he denyeth that the sacrifice of Christs suffering and obedience offered up by him is imputed to us set on our skore and accepted for us And thus in the doctrine of Christs sanitisfaction and attonement he declares himselfe a true disciple of Socinus lead by the same spirit of error and of the same opinion though in words he denyes it And what he here seemes to grant is no more but what all Socinians yeeld unto In the third proposition viz. that Christ is the sole and entire miraculous cause of every mans justification c. Hee doth aequivocate and delude the simple and while hee deceives them hee is deceived himselfe as the Apostle saith of wicked seducers 2 Tim. 3 13. For if he doth understand his owne words that Christ is the sole meritorious cause of every mans justification that is justified by GOD he must needs grant that Christs satisfaction made to GODS justice and his perfect righteousnesse as it is meritorious and of great value in it selfe so it is appropriated communicated imputed to him that is it is made actually meritorious for him and makes him worthy to be counted righteous and to be iustified for his words signify so much though hee is in his purpose and meaning as contrary as darknesse is to light for he meanes no more but that Christ meritted for himselfe that GOD should gratifie and honour him with the justification of those that believe in him so hee explaines himselfe in the last words It is certaine that a thing may be merritorious in it selfe for the worth of it but it cannot be meritorious to any particular person till it be appropriated to him and set on his skore Wotton his Master this point being proved to his face with undeniable arguments was driven to disclaime the word merit denyed Christs meritting for the faithfull and rejected it as a thing not named in Scripture in his Essayes of Justification Besides this deceiving of himselfâ— and misconceiving of his owne words I find here much absurdity First in that he is wavering and not setled in his Iudgment for in many places he holds faith to be the righteousnesse of a man justified and here he calles absolvtion from sinne and condemnation the righteousnesse which is given to every man in his justification I grant that in a man iustified there is no righteousnesse inhaerent but his cleanenesse from guilt of all sinnes both of commission and omission and in this sense Calvin Luther and others say that all the righteousnesse in a man iustified is the remission of his sinnes that is his cleanenesse from the guilt of them but this is not the righteousnesse which iustifieth him and which is communicated to him to make him cleane and to worke this cleannesse from the guilt of his sin that is the righteousnesse inhaerent in Christ which makes him cleane and puts him in a stare of righteousnesse before GOD but this profound Doctor with that stamp and superscription of rationall authority which hee conceiveth to be set on him hath not yet searched into the deep things oâ— GOD. Secondly he is most absurd in imagining that Christ hath purchased favour and honour witâ— GOD that he might iustifie theâ—… that believe in him by Procuring that faith in a proper sense should be accepted for righteousnesse For Christ as he was GOD man was infinitely of himselfe in favour and honour with GOD and humbled himselfe onely for us and in our behalfe fulfilled the Law not to purchace honour and favour to himselfe nor to make himselfe worthy to be gratified and honored by GOD as hee affirmeth Thus wee see his absurdities and his deceiving of himselfe The fourth
for us to satisfie in our stead and his holy spirit to unite us to his Sonne and to bring us to communion of his satisfaction Thus wee see that they shut up the doore of Heaven and stop that onely way to eternall life by overthrowing justification which is the making and accounting of men righteous by that onely righteousnes of Christ besides which there is not any other to be found sufficient and able to beare us out before GODS tribunall of justice Now let all true Christians well weigh and consider the difference betweene truth and errour life and death true Christianity and Antichristian infidelity for such is the damned Socinianisme before discovered And if any man in the midst of the light of the Gospell shining so clearely and discovering so plainely cursed heresie will be blind let him bee more blind still and if any will be filthie let them bee more filthie still And if any love not the LORD Jesus but hate and blaspheme his truth let him be Anathema Maranatha Amen THE SECOND CHAPTER OF Socinianisme Wherein the imputation of faith for righteousnesse in a proper sense is undertaken to be proved from the Scriptures and the interpretation of those Scriptures confirmed both by reason and authority as well of ancient as moderne Divines THE PREFACE WHat it is that should be imputed for righteousnesse in justification all the wisdome and learning under heaven is not so fit or able to determine as the holy Ghost speaking in the Scriptures being the great Secretary of heaven and privie to all the wayes and counsels of GOD and therefore there is none to him to take up any difference or to comprimise betweene the controverters about any subiect in Religion All the difficulty and question is because though hee speakes upon the house top yet hee interprets in the eare all the Christian world either knowes or readily may know what hee speakes in the Scripture But what his meaning and intent is in any thing he leaves unto men to debate and make out amongst them To some indeed hee reveales the secret of his counsell the Spirit of his letter in some particulars but because these are not marked in the forehead therefore their apprehensions and thoughts though the true begotten of the truth are yet in common esteeme but like other mens till some stamp or superscription of rationall authority be set upon them to make the difference yea many times the nearer the truth the further off from the approbation of many and sometimes even of those that are greatest pretenders to the truth The Answere THe first part or speech is a solid truth to wit that no wisdome and learning under heaven is so fit or able to determine what is imputed for righteousnes in justification as the holy Ghost speaking in the Scriptures But this truth he contradicts in the next words which follow immediately where he saith that the holy Ghost leaues his meaning and intent to men to debate which if it be true then men are to determine and to take up every difference about any subject in Religion This beginning with contradiction is very ominous and prodigious and from hence we may gather what we are likely to find in his ensuing discourse The rule by which men are to judge of the Spirits meaning is the stamp and superscription of rationall authority set upon them so hee here expressely affirmes and in this hee openly professeth himselfe to be of the faction of the Socinian and Arminian remonstrants who doe teach that the best judge of the meaning of the Scriptures is recta ratio that is their owne carnall reason rectified by the art of Sophistrie Againe hee affirmes that all the Christian world knowes or readily may know what the holy Ghost speaks in the Scripture If this be true then they are all taught of GOD and the Spirit leaues not his meaning to men to debate and to promise betweene controverters Here is another contradiction Hee proceeds yet further in his absurdities and tells us that the holy Ghost reveales not to all the Christian world but to some the secret of his counsell the Spirit of his letter this is a contradiction to that which went next before And whereas before hee saith that all the Christian world knowes what the holy Ghost speakes in Scripture that is all saving truth here hee saith that hee reveales the secret of his counsell but in some particulars thus in every thing he contradicts himselfe and like a lunatick broken out of Bedlam he raves first saying and affirming and immediately denying and gainesaying in the same things But yet a lunatick persons have high conceits of themselves that they are of noble and royall blood right heires to Crownes Kingdoms and Empires or if not the holy Ghost himselfe yet persons wonderfully illuminated and inspired by him And many times they will not utter their conceits in expresse words but tell you of such great persons and complaine of your blockish dulnesse and stupidity if you doe not presently discerne that they speake of themselves and they are the men So here doth this illuminated Doctor deale with us He tells us of some speciall ones to whom the Spirit interprets in the eare and reveales the secret of his councell the Spirit of his letter who are the true begotten of the truth and that hee takes himself to be a chiefe among these it appeares first by his undertaking to give a reason of the counsell and purpose of GOD in his former Chapter as I have there noted Secondly by his taking upon him here to determine this question which none but such illuminated ones can be able to do And hee breakes off his prologue with a kind of complaint and exprobration full of disdaine namely this that because they meaning himselfe and his fellowes are not marked in the forehead by the Spirit of illumination therefore their thoughts and apprehensions are yet in common esteeme like other men you see non sapit humanum nec est mortale quod optat till some stamp and superscription of rationall authority be set upon them to make the difference Here hee seemes in this last clause to take courage and to conceive some hope that by the rational authority of his new coined Logick of which he lately gave us a tast whē he told us that causes are opposit ex diametro therefore the efficient impulsive instrumentall materiall formall and finall causes of mans justification and salvation cannot all or the most of them concurre in one person Christ though GOD and man hee will make the difference knowne betweene his excellency and other mens ignobility and obscurity The last clause of his complaint wherewith hee concludes his Preface is an overthwart blow to some where speaking of those first begotten of the truth he saith yea many times the nearer the truth the further off from the approbation of many and sometimes even of those that are the greatest pretenders to the
5 Argument FIftly the faith imputed to Abraham ver 3. is that faith wherein he is said not to be weak ver 19. and is opposed to doubting of the promise of God through unbeliefe ver 20. But the righteousnes of Christ cannot be conceived to be that wherein Abraham was not weak neither doth the righteousnes of Christ carry in it any opposition to doubting of the promise through unbeliefe being a thing of a differing kind and nature from it But betweene faith properly taken or a firme beleeving and doubting through unbeliefe there is a direct and perfect opposition And therefore it is faith in this sence and not the righteousnes of Christ which is said to bee imputed for righteousnesse Answer I Answer that though Christs righteousnesse bee a thing different from the beleevers faith yet when the beleever by a strong faith and without doubting possesseth Christ and his faith doth spiritually comprehend in it Christs righteousnesse then GOD counts it to him for righteousnes that is judgeth him a righteous man by communion of Christs righteousnesse but doth not iudge his faith and Christs righteousnes to be one the same very thing This argument is not to the matter It may bee turned against himselfe thus The more strong a man is in faith and farre from doubting of the promise through unbeliefe the more firmely he is united to Christ and the more full communion hee hath of Christs righteousnesse and with more reason may hee being so faithfull be counted righteous and Christs righteousnes under the name of faith be imputed to him This was Abrahams case he was strong in faith and doubted not and therefore having firme union with Christ and communion of all his benefits GOD justly imputed faith to him for righteousnesse and counted him so beleeving iustified and righteous by Christs righteousnesse and so in like case GOD will deale with other beleevers The sixt Argument SIxtly that faith which was imputed to Abraham was that by which he was assured that he who had promised was able also to doe it verse 21. and 22. But the righteousnesse of Christ is not capable of any such description as this that by it Abraham was fully assured c. Therefore it is not that which was imputed to Abraham Answer I Answer to this as to the former It is not to the matter untill he first prove that the name of one thing may not bee used by a Metonymie to expresse another except these two things be both one the same thing we wil deride such foolish arguments Though Christs righteousnesse be not one and the same thing with faith yet the more it doth assure us of the performance of GODS promise in Christ the more closely it comprehends Christs righteousnes and the more iust cause there is that under the name of faith Christs righteousnesse should be imputed by a Metonymie The seventh Argument SEventhly that which shall be imputed unto us for righteousnesse is said to be our beleeving in him that raised up Christ from the dead verse 24. But the righteousnesse of Christ is not our beleeving on him that raised Christ from the dead therefore it cannot be that that is said to bee imputed for righteousnesse unto us Answer THere is no faith under the name whereof Christs righteousnesse may so fitly bee expressed as that which is a beleeving on him who raised up Christ from the dead for we cannot truely beleeve GODS raising of Christ from death but withall wee must beleeve that GODS justice is by him our surety fully satisfied and his Law fulfilled in our behalfe and we being partakers thereof and enjoying it by faith GOD may justly impute this faith to us for righteousnesse Thus his arguments being all from his matter are easily turned upon himselfe 8 Argument EIghtly whereas the question or point of imputation in justification is handled onely in this passage of Scripture for those other places Gal. 3. and Iames 2. onely mention it but insist not at all upon any declaration or explication thereof it is no wayes probable but that the Apostle should speake somewhat distinctly and plainely of the nature of it otherwise hee might seeme rather to lay a stumbling block in our way then to have written any thing for our learning and comfort If wee take the word faith or beleeving so often used in this Chapter in the proper and plaine signification of it for that faith whereby a man beleeves in Christ then the tenour of the discourse is as cleere and full as may be the streame of the whole Chapter runnes limpid and untroubled but if wee bring in a tropicall and metonymicall signification and by faith will compell Paul to meane the righteousnesse of Christ we cloath the Sun with sackcloath and turne Pauls perspicuity into a greater obscurity then any light in the Scripture knoweth how to comfort or to relieve The word faith being a terme frequently used in Scripture is yet never found to signifie the righteousnesse of Christ the holy Ghost never putting this sword into that sheath neither is there any rule of Grammar or figure in Rethorick that knowes how to salve up the inconsistence of such an interpretation Answer THis argument is no more but his owne bare affirmation that it is probable the Apostle in this place where he handles the point of imputation would speak plainly and it is more plaine to speak of faith imputed in a proper sense the tropicall and metonymicall sense or interpretation brought in is a compelling of Paul to meane by faith the righteousnesse of Christ and thereby we cloath the sun with sackcloath in which multiplicity of words wee finde much vanity As for imputation in justification it is not the maine and principall point which the Apostle insists upon the maine and principall points of justification are in the 3. and 5. Chapter handled plainely and in the 8 9 and 10. Chapters where he plainely teacheth that the righteousnes by which wee are constituted and made righteous before GOD is Christs obedience and fulfilling of the Law The imputation of faith comes in onely by the way being occasioned by that testimony of Moses concerning Abraham which the Apostle brings to prove that iustification is not by our owne performance or workes of the Law but by a righteousnes which GOD gives even the fulfilling of the Law by Christ for our redemption which wee receive and enioy by faith so certainely that if we bee faithfull beleevers in Christ then are wee righteous euen in GODS account for true faith cannot be nor subsist in any who hath not communion of Christs righteousnesse This to all iudicious men is more plaine and limpid and cleere then to take faith in a proper sense and to set on it the Crowne of Christs righteousnesse especially seeing the Apostle in the 6. and 11. verses sheweth that the thing properly imputed is righteousnesse and therefore not faith which cannot properly be called or counted righteousnes yea he
15.6 Hee simply believed GODS word and asked no signe of the LORD and hee did impute that very faith unto Abraham himselfe for righteousnes by which GOD is believed to be propense or ready for our good Hunius also saith The faith by which Abraham believed GOD promising was imputed to him for righteousnes Beza saith Here the busines is concerning that which was imputed to him namely his faith Inius and Tremellius on Gen. 15.6 GOD esteemed or counted him for righteous though wanting righteousnes and reckoned him to be in the state of righteousnes because by firme faith he embraced the promises Paraus Rom. 4.3 Wee understand by the word faith which is said to be imputed for righteousnes Abrahams resting not in himselfe or his owne merits but in the promise and good will of GOD. These testimonies are brought to begge the question for they onely affirme that faith is imputed and by believing men come to be counted righteous but there is not in any one the least intimation that faith is imputed in a proper sense but their owne words in the same places shew That faith by reason of that which it beleeveth and apprehendeth that is Christ with all his merits and benefits is counted for righteousnes which is our true genuine Orthodox exposition of the Apostles words And thus I have answered all whatsoever hee hath said for his interpretation onely his severall falshoods and manifest untruthes in severall phrases and boasting wordes prefixed before the testimonies of every Author whom he nameth I leave to the Reader to observe For indeed they are most palpable that every man of understanding may run and reade them But because I will not have such a forger and false suborner of witnesses escape away without the iust brands of forgery and notorious impudency I will bring in the best learned of the Ancients and also of late Orthodox Divines even those whom hee calls to witnesse for him and will make them speake in their owne wordes and testifie to all the world that by faith imputed for righteousnesse they understand not faith by it selfe in a proper sense but the satisfaction and righteousnesse of Iesus Christ GOD and man performed according to the Law in our nature and in our behalfe that through him the righteousnesse of the Law might be fulfilled in us who beleeve in him and are lead by his spirit First Iustin Martyr testifieth that we being in our selves transgressors and ungodly cannot possibly bee iustified but in the onely sonne of GOD now if onely by being in him and by that union and communion which all have with him who are in him then onely by his righteousnesse For as the same Author saith in the same place It is his righteousnes and nothing else which can cover our sinne Iustin Martyr in Epist ad Diognetum and in exposit◠fidei hee saith that Christ as well by his exact conversation of life that is his perfect righteousnes as by his undeserved death hath abolished and covered our falls and failing which came in by Adam Irenaeus is so strict for our communion with Christ in his obedience unto death and for our reconciliation and iustification therby that he imputes Christs obedience to us and saith Jn secundo Adamo reconciliati sumus obedientes usque ad mortem facti In the second Adam wee are reconciled being made obedient even unto death lib. 4. c. 14. adversus haereses Athanasius in his 2 Tom. pag. 270. of Cornelius edition saith that it is most necessary for us to beleeve the Scriptures that Christ who hath freed us from the curse is the first fruites of the masse of mankind who are by him redeemed and that the perfect fulfilling of the law by him the first fruites is imputed to the whole masse his wordes in greeke are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in his booke de incarnat verbi hee affirmes that we shall live and bee saved because wee are partakers of the righteousnes without spot which Christ GOD in the flesh brought into the world Gregory Nyssen Orat. 2. in Cantica saith Christ having the filth or guilt of my sins transferred upon himselfe hath communicated his perfect purity to mee and made mee partaker of that beauty which is in himselfe Ambrose saith as Adam is the patterne of death because of sin so Christ is the patterne of life because of his righteousnesse in cap. 7. Lucae lib. 5. And our iustification by faith and not by workes he saith was prefigured by Jacobs getting of the blessing in sweet smelling garments Iacob was a type of every true beleever under the Gospell Rebecca of the Church The garments of the first borne Christs righteousnesse The Iewes of the elder testament like Esau sought righteousnesse by their owne workes and true beleevers put on the righteousnes of Christ by faith being so taught by the Church their mother and obtaine by the merit of it the blessing Ambrose lib. 2. c. 2 de Iacob vita beata CHrysostome saith If a Iew aske thee how can all the world be saved by the righteous doings of one Christ thou mayest answer him even as all the world is condemned by one Adams disobedience on Rom. 5. homil 10. And in his booke de recta fide It is absurd saith he to thinke that wee should bee made heires of the punishment of the first Adam by his disobedience and should not bee partakers of the righteousnesse of the second Adam who doth bring us to life by his most perfect obedience Theodoret Serm. 10. de curand Graec. affect saith It is very convenient that he who highly praised righteousnesse should in his comming in the flesh fulfill righteousnesse for men Augustine Enchirid. ad Laurent c. 41. saith he was made sin that we might be made righteousnes not our owne but GODS righteousnesse not in our selves but in him even as he was sinne not his owne sinne but ours not in himselfe but in us And serm 6. de verb. Apost he saith GOD the father made him sinne that wee might bee made the righteousnesse of GOD in him Behold here two things the righteousnesse of GOD not our own◠〈…〉 not in our selves Leo the 〈◊〉 Epist. 70 saith that by the innocency of one we are all made innocent and that by righteousnesse from him derived unto men who hath taken mans nature upon him Bernard Epist. 190. as one hath borne the sinnes of all so the satisfaction of one is imputed to all It was not one which forfeited and another which satisfied for the head and the body is one Christ. Also in serm ad Milites templi he saith Death is made to flee away in the death of Christ and Christs righteousnesse is imputed to us and a little after Hee who hath willingly beene incarnat willingly suffered and willingly crucified will hee keep back his righteousnesse from us and againe one man sinned and all are made guilty and shall the innocency of one Christ bee imputed onely to