ten thousand-thousand worlds That which is infinite knoweth no bounds but Gods will The kinde of his obedience was Legal the same in nature and measure which we by the first Covenant stood bound unto This his obedience to the Law was more acceptable to God then the disobedience of Adam was detestable yea more acceptable then the obedience of Adam had he continued in the first Covenant Though all these ingredients are so essentially requisite unto the obedience of the Mediator as that the defect of any one of them renders Christ an insufficient Mediator yet is it both the grand Error and a great part of the unhappy Labour of the ensuing Treatise to take away the Second of the Three It is therefore unworthy a Christian to say with Fevardentius One drop of the bloud of Christ is sufficient to have redeemed us Or with Bellarmine That the bodily death of Christ is sufficient for the Elect though according to both performed in way of satisfaction to Divine justice But much more unworthy a Christian to say with the Dialogue That the bodily death of Christ is sufficient for redemption though not performed in order to satisfie justice Quaere 4 How doth it appear that the justice of the Law is answered by a sinners suffering the punishment due to sin either in their own person or in the person of their Surety Answ Because God Gen. 2.17 no otherwise obliged himself by the Law to the punishment of sin with death but so as that it was free for him to execute that punishment either upon the offender or upon the Surety Distinct 1 Distinguish between the Essential or Substantial and the Accidental or Circumstantial parts of the punishment of the curse The essential part of punishment is that execution of justice which proceedeth from the curse Desperatio non est de essentia paenae infernalis Bellar. enerv To. 1. lib. 2. c. 2. considered absolutely in it self without any respect to the condition or disposition of the patient this may be called The essence of punishment The accidental part of punishment is that execution of justice which proceedeth not from the cause considered absolutely but from the disposition or condition of the patient being under such a curse this may be called A penal adjunct For examples sake In the execution of the sentence of death upon a malefactor Mors Per se Aeterna the separation of the soul from the body is of the essence of the punishment the gradual decay of the senses impotency of spirit losse of friends are accidental parts of punishment or penal adjuncts arising not from the meer separation of the soul and body Polan Carcer debiti pars nulla est Parker de Descen l. 3. num 91. but from the disposition of the patient In case of execution of the sentence of imprisonment upon a debtor Imprisonment is of the essence of the punishment but duration in the prison is from the disposition of the debtor viz. his insufficiency to pay the debt The essential punishment of the curse is the total temporal privation of all the sense of the good of the promise called by some The pain of losse and the inflicting of the positive evil flowing from the curse considered absolutely in it self without any respect to the disposition of the patient called The pain of sense This essential punishment was that and only that which Christ suffered Medull l. 1. c. 22. th 6. The death which Christ died was in nature and proportion the same which was due unto the Elect for their sin according to justice The accidental part of the punishment of the curse is all the rest of the penal evil thereof and befals the reprobate not from the curse simply but from the disposition of the patient under that curse Of these accidental parts of punishment which if you please may well passe under the name of penal adjuncts are final and total separation from God final death in sin final and total despair duration of punishment for ever the place of punishment c. Pataeus in Matth. 27.46 p. 889. Absolute separation from disunion or discovenanting with God is a consequent of reprobation but not of the essence of punishment because the elect notwithstanding the Commination stood in as full force against them as against the reprobate yet continued elected and in Covenant with God in Christ the Elect were in Christ before they were in Adam The personal union of Christ continued notwithstanding he suffered the punishment due to the sinnes of the Elect. Sin is not of the essence of the punishment because essential punishment is a satisfaction unto justice for injury done but sin is a continuing of the injury and a provocation of not a satisfaction unto justice Essential punishment is an effect of justice of which God is the Author but it is blasphemy to say God is the Author of sin The Elect suffer no part of penal punishment yet are left unto sin Duration for ever and the place of the punishment are adjuncts as the nature of them sufficiently shews Distin 2 Distinguish between the wrath of God as concerning the Elect Vide Zanch. de natura Dei l. 4. c. 6. Hatred is taken either for the willing of affliction or for hatred opposite to eternal love in the last sense God hates not the Elect. Odium sumitur pro volitione malorū odio opposito amori aeterno Twiff Vind. Grat. l. 3. errat 8. S. 7. Dei ira in electos non est odium oppositum dilectioni quā antea ipsos est prosecutus Rhetorf exc 1. c. 2. and the hatred of God strictly taken Wrath is sometime taken for Gods hatred of persons and signifieth reprobation thus the reprobates are called Vessels of Wrath Rom. 9.22 Sometimes for the execution of Vindicative Justice Rom. 1.18 chap. 2.5 in this sense the elect are called the children of wrath Eph. 2.3 because their state by nature is such whereunto vindicative justice is due by reason of their sin Sometimes for the execution of corrective justice Deut. 4.21 Psal 78.62 in the first sense God is wroth with the reprobate in the second sense he was wroth with Chirst in the last he is wroth with the Elect Though in the second sense not in the first God may be said to be wroth with Christ yet in no sense could God be said ever to hate Christ God hates both persons and sins of the reprobate he hates sin in the Surety and in the Elect but he ever loved their persons God is wroth with all whom he hates but he hates not all with whom he is wroth Distinct 3 Distinguish concerning imputation of sin Imputation of sin is either of the commission of sin or of the guilt of sin guilt not taken for the commission of sin but for the obligation unto punishment for sin committed sin is imputed to Christ in the later sense not in the former Distinct. 4
and his instruments were all instruments herein In those effects wherein Satan and men are instruments God is the first and universall efficient not a meer counseller fore-speaker and permitter The efficiency of the second cause is the effect of the first cause Satan the Sabeans and Chaldeans were subordinate causes and instruments of Jobs sufferings yet he saith God hath taken away Job 1.21 So Joseph Gen. 45.8 David Psa 39 9. in cases much alike Satan and men were Instrumens in inflicting such a stroak therefore it is no stroak of divine vindicative justice is no good consequence All evils inflicted upon the reprobate whether corporall or spirituall are stroaks or acts of vindicative justice So often then as Satan or men are instrumentall in inflicting such evils so often Satan and men are instrumentall in stroaks of vindicative justice judicial punishment of sin with sin is an act of vindicative wrath but of this parents are instrumental in the propagation of original sin to their Reprobate children The spiritual distres of an excommunicate person that is a Reprobate is an effect of vindicative wrath But in such distresses Satan is instrumental 1 Cor. 5.5 That delusion of which 2 Thes 2.9 10 11 12. is an act of vindicative justice But in working it Satan and men are instrumentall Casting the wicked men into hell is also an act of vindicative justice in which Gods Angels are instruments Matth. 13.42 Creatures then both good and bad may be instruments of Gods vindicative wrath inflicted both on body and soul Yet we must distinguish between the wounds bruises and stripes inflicted upon Christ and the sin in inflicting of them Satan and his agents were the sole authours and actors of sin yet as concerning the wounds bruises stripes themselves though Satan and men were the subordinate instruments yet God himself was the Authour and principall efficient of them The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquities of us all Isa 53.6 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him vers 10. The sufferings of Christ included in this Text are not only such wherein Satan and men were Instruments but some of them were inflicted immediatly of God without any second means as instruments thereof Not only the body but the soul also is capable of bearing wounds bruises and stripes hence we reade of a wounded spirit Pro. 18.14 A wounded conscience 1 Cor. 8.12 The broken and bruised in heart Luke 4.18 The plague of the heart 1 King 8.38 The words proceeding from the very same Hebrew roots with the very words used in this Text are in the Scripture applied to the soul My soul is wounded within me Psa 119.22 A broken and a contrite spirit Psa 51.17 Receive instruction or castigation and not silver Pro. 8.10 which words proceed not only concerning corporeal but also concerning spiritual chastening Should the soul be supposed to be uncapable of wounds bruises chastenings properly yet experience shews it is capable of them metaphorically Satan being a spirit may have accesse unto and consequently both may and doth afflict the spirit 1 Cor. 5.5 Eph. 6.12 16. If Satan could not God can Christ suffered not only in body but in soul Isa 53.10 when thou shalt make his soul a sacrifice for sin My soul is exceeding sorrowfull even unto death Mat. 26.38 Mar. 14.13 His great heavinesse sore amazement agony sweat as it were drops of bloud Mar. 14.33 34. Luk. 2◠44 cannot be looked at in a person that was God-man as lesse then the effects of soul-sorrows hell-sorrows Thou shalt not leave my soul in hell The soul is by judicious and learned Authors understood properly Rivet Hell metaphorically that is for pains aequivalent to the pains of hell it self Parker de Desc l. 3. n. 62. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vir dolorū His sufferings are in the plurall number called passions not a single passion 1 Pet. 4.13 Death 's not a single death Isa 53 9. to shew as some conceive his sufferings both of soul and body He was a man of sorrows Isa 53.3 The word All Act. 13.29 is to be taken in a limited sense as you were told before for all that he was to suffer by them there mentioned not for all that he was to suffer He bare our sins in his body 1 Pet. 2.24 therefore our sins were imputed to him he bare them in his body but not only in his body he hung upon the tree being made a curse Gal. 3.13 The curse is not only bodily but spirituall As we were delivered from our sin so he bare our sin But we were delivered not only from the bodily but also from the spiritual punishment of sin Therefore Most aptly from the example of Christs suffering patiently the punishment of our sins he committed not are we exhorted to suffer patiently our chastisement for the sinnes which we have committed With good reason did he appeal in his sufferings unto the righteous Judge because though he suffered justly in respect of God yet he suffered most unjustly in respect of men The demonstration of the Mediatorly obedience of Christ is truly acknowledged as a subordinate end of his sufferings but the supream end you leave out namely the manifestation of the glory of Gods mercy tempered with justice Mercy to the elect justice unto Christ To declare I say at this time his righteousnesse or justice that he might be just and the justifier of him that beleeveth in Jesus Whilest you so often affirm the obedience of Christ to be meritorious and yet all along deny it to be performed in a way of justice you so oft affirm a contradiction The very nature of merit including justice for merit is a just desert or a desert in way of justice as Chap. 1. Dialogu I hold it necessary often to remember this distinction namely that Christ suffered both as a malefactor and as a Mediator at one and the same time Answ Though the notions of a Mediatour and a Malefactour are clearly distinct in themselves yet your distinguishing between Christ dying as a Mediatour and as a malefactor is unsound because it implieth that in dying as a Mediatour he died not as a Malefactor no not imputatively whereas to be a malefactor imputatively was for the times a part of his Mediatorly office and essentiall to the death of the Mediator The Dialogue makes him a malefactor in respect of mens false imputations only but denies any imputation of sin unto him by God Dialogu He bare our sins in his body upon the tree 1 Pet. 2.24 Peter means he bare the punishment of sin inflicted according to the sentence of Pilate in his body on the tree sin is often put for the punishment of sin Answ True sin is here taken for the punishment of sin though not only so but for the guilt of sin also 'T is true also that Christ in enduring the sufferings inflicted upon him by the Jews bare as you say our punishments and our sins i. e. the
case Luke 16. and so doth Isaiah in cha 66.24 3. Hence we may see the reason why Haides is put as a common name to both places both places are usually called Haides in sundry Greek Writers as if they were but two Regions in the same world of souls one Region for the godly and the other for the wicked where the godly and the wicked may see each others condition and talk together in their next adjacent parts Luk. 16.23 Answ Wheresoever the place of hell is is not materiall unto the Question in hand the Reader therefore might have been spared this longer discourse it is enough that Christ suffered the punishment though not in the ordinary place of punishment It hath now been oft and again said the place of punishment is not of the essence of punishment Joab suffered death though he suffered not in the common place of execution You may reade in Pemble that in Eccl. 3.21 Pemble on the place to be the speech of an Atheist against the assertion of the immortality of the soul and principally both of the felicity and immortality of the souls of good men For whereas saith the Athiest men talk of an immortal soul of man which severed from the body ascends up to heaven and that the soul of a bruit beast descends downward that it falleth and perisheth together with the body they do but speak by guesse who knows it who ever saw it what Anatomist can finde it out The opposition then herein intended by the Athiest lieth not between the spirit of a beast and the soul of man in generall but between the soul of a beast and the soul of such men which severed from their bodies ascend up to heaven that is godly men whose spirits return to God that gave them Eccles 12.7 Vide Pisc in utrumque locum If the ascending of the spirit be extended unto the souls of the wicked which upon their departure are by some thought immediatly to ascend unto the place wherein God passeth judgement upon them which done they are delivered unto the hands of evil Angels to be carried forthwith into hell which they judge to be below This helpeth not you The place appointed for the sufferings of the damned is in the Scripture called hell Mat. 5.22 a Furnace of fire Mat. 13.42 The place of torment Luke 16.38 A prison 1 Pet. 3.19 A bottomlesse pit Rev. 9.1 A Lake of fire Rev. 20.15 A Lake which burneth with fire and brimstone Rev. 21.8 some of which appellations argue that it is below not on high but the very place is not revealed I spare to recite the variety of the opinionss of the Learned concerning the place of hell with such reasons as are most probable not looking at it as pertinent to the controversie To search out the place of hell it not being revealed in the word is curiosity to labour according to what is written that we may not come in that place of torment is our duty If hell were in Aristotles Element of fire the very being of which sounder Philosophy denieth yet if you hearkened either to the learned Philosophers or Mathematicians who distinguish the heaven of the blessed and this inferiour Universe into the visible and invisible world and teach us that there is a most vast and unto the unlearned incredible distance between the supposed Element of fire and the first mover what then is the distance beeween it and the heaven of heavens you would not think that the blessed and damned could see and talk with one another Similitudo seu Parabola adaequetur principali scopo intentioni declarantis atque extra hanc non extendatur Keck log l. 1. sect post c. 4. Calv. in Lu. 16.23 Your arguing the nearnesse of heaven and hell from the conference of Abraham and Dives in the Parable argueth that the rule of interpreting Parables was not attended by you herein namely that a similitude or Parable is to be understood according to the principal scope and intention of the Authour and not to be extended beyond it The comparisons of the Scripture abused vexed and strained beyond the scope intended have been the beginning and strengthening of many errors and too many heresies Calvin telleth you That Christ by sensible figures doth here describe spiritual things Souls saith he have not fingers eye nor do they feel thirst I may adde neither have they tongues to be tormented with flames but the sum is Rest is prepared for the souls of the faithfull departed and torment for the souls of the Reprobate It cannot seem much that he who forbeareth not to charge the Evangelists comparison to be absurd except it bear his absurd Expositions doth so frequently burthen the doctrine of the generation of the godly both learned and unlearned concerning the imputation of sin unto Christ being contrary to him with absurd consequences I omit that the sentence of condemnation is passed in the sight of Christ Angels and the Saints The sight of Angels and Spirits is intellectual seeing their objects by intelligible species not sensible seeing their objects by sensible species as our bodily eyes see sensible objects The damned see Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdom of heaven Luk 13.28 not sensibly but mentally Christ in respect of his Divinity is present every where and the humane by vertue of its Personall union not only excelleth the understanding of Angels but is also capable of seeing in the Divine nature whatever is thereby presented unto it in a more excellent manner then if it saw it in its proper object The word Throne is not in the Text Rev. 14.10 but it is your addition haply to make your notion the more plausible Of Haides we have spoken sufficiently before Dialogu It is evident that Christ did not suffer the torments of hell in this world because there was no necessary use or end of such sufferings for such sufferings are no way satisfactory to the justice of God for our sins for the rule of Gods justice doth require that soul only to die which sins the soul that sins shall die one man shall not die for another mans sin Ezek 18. By this rule of justice God cannot inflict the torments of hell upon an innocent to redeem a guilty person Answ The necessary use of his sufferings was the Redemption of souls in a way of satisfaction unto justice Hence the obedience of Christ is called righteousnesse Rom. 5.18 noting an obedience satisfactory according to order of justice And we reade that he gave his life a ransome for many Mat. 20.28 a ransome for all 1 Tim. 2.6 that is a sufficient price for our deliverance from the curse He did not only suffer for our good but in our place and stead to this purpose we reade that he redeemed his people and that we have redemption through his bloud Luk. 1.68 and 2.38 Heb. 9.12 Col. 1.14 Heb. 9.15 which words note a just and satisfactoty price laid down
of the eternall curse in ver 10.2 Of an outward temporary curse in ver 14. such as all men do suffer who are hanged upon a tree the Apostle brings in this latter curse in a Rhetoricall manner only saying thus Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law namely from the eternall curse at the very self-same time when he was made not that curse but a curse for us according to Deuter. 21.23 Answ The Apostle ver 13. according to the stream of Interpreters answers an Objection arising out of vers 10. thus If every one be cursed that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them it followeth then that all are accursed because no one continueth in all things which are written in the book of the Law to doe them No saith Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 activè est sententia execratoria passivè significat execrationis poenā transgresso ribus legis statutam Paraeus in loc for notwithstanding all are accursed in themselves yet Christ hath redeemed us that beleeve not only freed us as you corruptly turn it by laying down a just price from the curse of the Law i.e. from the sentence of the Law called a curse actively and the execution of justice according to that sentence called the curse passively How By being made a curse i.e. that morall curse for us But how doth that appear For it is written viz. Deut. 21.23 Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree The Apostle speaks of the eternall or morall curse vers 10. and of both the eternall and ceremoniall curse ver 13. what more frequent then to hold forth a reall truth by Rhetoricall terms yet here the Apostles stile is simple not Rhetoricall Your needlesse affecting a Rhetoricall stile in this Text brings to minde the words of Beza speaking of Erasmus Imò verò in eo positae est tota nostra spes Vide Bezam in Gal. 3.13 seeking also a Trope in this place Christ being made a curse for us Nay verily saith he in that is our whole hope laid up in that appeareth the infinite love of God in that is our salvation placed that our God pour'd out all his wrath upon his own Son properly and without any trope he cursed him as he was our surety properly and without any Trope The word when whereby you wrest that unto the time which is spoken of the manner how we are redeemed is of your own putting in and not in the Text. Dialogu I confesse that D. Luther was a rare instrument in the Church of God in his daies and he hath expounded the Epistle to the Galatians better then many others but yet I beleeve he is far from the Apostles meaning in this matter and it seemeth to me he had some doubt also about his Exposition But he thinketh that the latter curse may well be expounded of his sacrifice for the Curse and yet that Exposition is not right neither for this latter Curse is no other then an outward temporary curse For the Text in Deut. runs thus If there be in a man a sin worthy of death and thou hang him upon a Tree c. then he that is hanged is the curse of God Answ 'T is true that Martin Luther as you immediatly before said commenting upon this Text speaks as follows And although these sentences may be well expounded after this manner Christ is made a curse that is to say a sacrifice for the curse and sin that is a sacrifice for sin yet in my judgement it is better to keep the proper signification of the words because there is a greater force and vehemency therein as also that in the conclusion he affirmeth that Christ bare all our sins by imputation and that he bare the curse of the Law really for us and in respect of bearing our sins by imputation he saith that Christ was the greatest thief blasphemer c. But because you so alledge him as if he were not so much against you nor for us in this controversie as indeed he is and both of them so clearly and fully as no man more that the Reader may have a true taste of Luthers spirit and judgement in this point I shall transcribe what he writes soon after what you have cited Paul therefore saith he handleth this place with a true Apostolicall spirit there is neither Sophister nor Lawyer nor Jew nor Anabaptist nor any other that speaketh as he doth for who durst alledge this place out of Moses accursed is every one that hangeth on a tree and apply it unto Christ like as Paul then applied this sentence unto Christ even so may we apply unto Christ not only the whole 27 Chapt. of Deut. but also may gather all the curses of Moses Law together and expound the same of Christ for as Christ is innocent in this generall Law touching his person so is he also in all the rest and as he is guilty in this generall Law in that he is made a curse for us and is hanged upon the Crosse as a wicked man a blaspemer a murderer and a Traitor even so is he also guilty in all others for all the curses of the Law are heaped together and laid upon him and therefore he did bear and suffer them in his own body for us he was therefore not only accursed but also was made a curse for us This is to interpret the Scriptures truly and like an Apostle Thus Luther There is not the least appearance that I can observe why Luther should seem from what he writes on this Text to doubt of his Exposition but very abundantly much to the contrary That Luther and others who conclude from this Text Christ to have suffered the wrath of God have the true meaning thereof will appear by proving that the person hanged upon a tree and accursed Deut. 21.23 was a type of Christ for if the Type bare the Ceremoniall 't is then manifest that the Antitype bare the morall that is the eternall curse If not only the malediction of every one that is hanged upon a tree be held forth but also Christs redemption of us from the curse of the Law by being made a curse for us be both held forth and foretold Deut. 21.23 then the Text Deut. 21.23 hath not only a proper but a typicall signification The malediction of every one that hangs upon a tree is contained in the Text properly Christs redemption of us from the curse of the Law by being made a curse for us is another thing and cannot be contained therein properly but only typically Who without the peculiar inspiration of the Spirit could have found that truth in that Text But not only the malediction of every one that is hanged upon a Tree is held forth but also Christs redemption of us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us is both held forth and foretold Deut. 21.23 The Minor is the Apostles as
and brings salvation though it self be invisible and in the heart For with the heart man beleeveth unto righteousnesse and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation Dialogu And in this sense all Sacrifices of Atonement are called Sacrifices of Righteousnesse not only as they are the procuring cause of the Fathers Atonement for a sinners righteousnesse but also because they must be offered in righteousnesse Mal. 3.3 that is to say in faith because poor beleeving sinners do by faith receive the Fathers atonement for their full and perfect righteousnesse Answ This is in effect but what was objected and answered before Dialogu And it is further evident that faith doth no otherwise justifie a sinner but as it is that grace or instrument of the Spirit whereby a sinner is enabled to apprehend and receive the Fathers atonement by the Apostles discourse in Rom. 3.21 22 23 24 25. all which Verses I will br efly expound unto you First The Apostle in these words doth teach us the true nature of a sinners justification he cals it the righteousnesse of God He doth not call it the righteousnesse of Christ but the righteousnesse of God the Father because the formall cause and finishing act of a sinners righteousnesse or justification doth come down from God the Father upon all beleeving sinners A sinner cannot be made righteous by the works of the Law as the former verse doth conclude For by the Law men come to know themselves to be sinners and they that are sinners are ever sinners in themselves therefore if ever sinners can be made righteous they must be made righteous by such a kinde of righteousnesse as it pleaseth God the Father to bestow upon them and that can be no other righteousnesse then a passive righteousnesse proceeding from Gods mercifull atonement pardon and forgivenesse Answ The righteousnesse whereby a sinner is justified is called the righteousnesse of God because he is the authour of it it is as much as called the righteousnesse of Christ Rom. 5.18 where it is called the rigteousnesse of one which one is Christ The imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ is the formall cause of our justification and is the act of God the Father The word Father not being taken personally for the first person in the Trinity but essentially for all the three persons God the Father Son and holy Ghost Because all works wrought upon the creature are the works of the three persons equally A sinner is not justified by the works of the Law namely by works that we have done Tit. 3.5 For to such a work four things are requisite viz. that it be wrought 1. By vertue of the grace of the first Covenant 2. By our own persons 3 With exact obedience to the Law 4. Under the promise of justification unto continuance therein But yet a sinner is justified by the works that Christ hath wrought though not by the works that we have wrought If that Proposition be absolutely true that they that are once sinners are ever sinners then either the Saints in glory were never sinners or they are and ever shall be sinners and consequently neither are nor ever shall be perfectly blessed See Ephes 5.27 Neither the justified persons continuance to be a sinner which is the condition of all in this life nor the dependance of justification upon Gods free pleasure nor the passivenesse of the soul in receiving justification do at all inferre atonement much lesse the atonement of the Dialogue to be our righteousnesse The good pleasure of God is the cause why the righteousnesse of Christ imputed and not atonement is our righteousnesse Dialogu But yet the Apostle doth further describe this righteousnesse of God ver 21. by two other circumstances 1. Negatively 2. Affirmatively 1. Negatively he saith that this righteousnesse is without the works of the Law He doth plainly affirm that the works of the Law have no influence at all in the point of a sinners justice or justification Answ We are justified without the works of the Law that is without the works of the Law done by us but not without the works of the Law done by Christ We are justified freely it costeth us nothing Buchan loc 31. q. 16. yet we are justified justly it cost Christ the laying down of a full price Dialogu He doth affirm that this righteousnesse of God whereby sinners are made righteous is such a reghteousnesse as is witnessed by the Law and by the Prophett It is witnessed by the Law namely by that part of the Law which did teach and typifie unto sinners how they might be sinlesse by Gods atonement through their sacrifice of atonement as the procuring cause thereof as I have opened the matter more at large already Answ Willet in loc q. 27. The Apostle in those words by the Law Rom. 3.21 doth not intend the Law of works nor the Ceremoniall Law only but the Law of Moses Moses wrote of me Joh. 5.46 The ceremoniall Law did not typifie our being made righteous by atonement much lesse by the atonement of the Dialogue as it is to be seen in the answer of the places you referre unto Dialogu Faith it self is not a sinners righteousnesse and therefore it cannot be accounted as a sinners righteousnesse in stead of the righteousnesse of the Law as some would have it For if faith were a sinners righteousnesse no otherwise but in the place or stead of the righteousnesse of the Law then faith could not justifie a sinner any further then the Law would do if it could be supposed that a sinner could by any means attain to the righteousnesse of the Law and then truly faith would be but a poor righteousnesse to cover a sinners nakednesse For if a sinner could keep the whole Law in every circumstance of it from his birth unto his death yet it would not be sufficient to justifie him from his originall sin Answ It doth not follow though faith is not therefore atonement is a sinners righteousnesse None of us say that faith is a sinners righteousnesse otherwise then relatively for the sake of the object apprehended by faith and so the Apostle saith expresly Abrahams faith was accounted to him for righteousnesse Yea the Dialogue if atonement might passe for righteousnesse acknowledgeth that faith for the atonements sake received by it is accounted for righteousnesse No marvell though the Dialogue denieth faith to be accounted a sinners righteousnesse in stead of the righteousnesse of the Law the righteousnesse of the Law being righteousnesse properly and truly so called which the Dialogue simply denieth to have any influence into the matter of justification There is no need unto meer justification that faith should justifie a sinner further then the Law requireth yet faith doth not onely justifie a sinner which the Law could not Rom. 8.3 4. but also justifieth him in some respects in a more excellent manner then the Law could have justified an innocent person Dialogu If any