A Treatise of Justification, Book 1 · Chapter 4
CAP. IV. Whether wee are justified by the passive righteousnesse of Christ only.
§. I.
NOw I come to the private opinions of some of our DivinesThe private opinions of some Divines concerning the matter of justification. concerning the matter and some of our justification. For some as touching the matter, doe hold that we are justified by the passive righteousnesse of Christ onelyonly. Of these men, some doe not hold the matter of justification to bee the passive righteousnesse of Christ it selfe, but a righteousnesse morte Christi partū, purchased by the death of Christ, as the meritorious cause thereof, viz. remission of sinnes, which they not without absurdity say is imputed to us. For what is remission of sinne, but the not imputing of it? If therefore wee bee justified by imputation of the remission of sinne, then are we justified by the imputation of the not imputing of sinne. Againe, the authors of this opinion confound justice with justification; for they say, that remission of sinne is our justice, and that justification is nothing also but remission; when indeed neither the one, nor the other is justice, but an action of God, imputing righteousnesse and not imputing sinne unto us. Others hold that by the passive righteousnesse of Christ it selfe meaning thereby his death and passion, we are justified, as by the onelyonly matter of justification imputed to us. But that wee are not justified by the passive righteousnesse of Christ alone, it may appeare by these reasons:
§. II. By what alone the Law is fully satisfied, by that we are justified,The first reason, because there is no justification without the fulfilling of the Law. and by what alone the Law is not fully satisfied, by that alone wee are not justified. By the whole righteousnesse of Christ, that is to say, the righteousnesse of his person, that is, his holinesse, or habituall righteousnesse; the righteousnesse of his life, which was his obedience or actuall righteousnesse; the righteousnesse of his death and passion, which is obedientia crucis, or his passive righteousnesse, the Law was fully satisfied or fulfilled: but by the passive obedience alone of Christ the Law was not fulfilled; therefore by the whole righteousnesse of Christ and not by the passive onelyonly we are justified. The proposition is thus proved: there is no justification before God without perfect and compleat righteousnesse, for without that no man can stand in judgement before God, and to imagine, that a man is justified without justice, is as absurd, as to conceive that a man is cloathed without apparell: For they that are justified are clothed aPsal. 132. 9.with righteousnesse, as having bGal. 3. 27.put on Christ, whose righteousnesse is their wedding garment, cMatth. 22. 11.signified by that white and shining linnen, dApoc. 19. 8.which are the justifications of the Saints. But there is no perfect righteousnesse, but that which fulfilleth the Law, and is fully conformable unto it, it being the perfect, perpetuall and immutable eMatth. 5. 18.rule of righteousnesse, Matth. 5. 18. therefore without the fulfilling of the Law, either by our selves, or by another for us, there is no justification. Now to the full satisfying and fulfilling of the Law, since the fall of Adam, two things are required; not onelyonly a perfect and perpetuall conformity to the Law to satisfie the commandement, and to fulfill the condition of the legall fLev. 18. 5. Rom. 10. 5. Gal 3. 12.promise, Doe this and live: but also a full satisfaction to the sentence of the Law by bearing the penalty therein denounced, in regard of sinnes already committed. Againe, faith or the true doctrine of justification by faith, doth not abrogate the gRom. 3. 31.Law, but establish it. But if it should teach justification without Christs fulfilling of the Law for us, it should abrogate the Law, and not establish it.
§ III. Of the assumption there are two parts: the former affirmative,By the passive righteousnesse of Christ onelyonly the Law is not fulfilled. that by the whole righteousnesse of Christ the Law is fully satisfied and fulfilled; for by his sufferings the penalty of the Law is fully satisfied for us to free us from hell, and by his righteousnes, both hab…tuall and actuall, the commandements were fulfilled for us, to entitle us unto heaven. Neither of which we were able to performe for our selves: for neither could wee satisfie the penalty, but by everlasting punishment; neither could wee fulfill the commandement, but by a totall, perfect, and perpetuall obedience; which to us, by reason of the flesh, is unpossible. And this was the miserable estate, wherein the Law did hold us: both to bee accursed, if but once, and that in the least degree wee did breake it (which the best of us often doe, and sometimes in an high degree) and to be excluded from justification and salvation, if wee did not fully and perfectly fulfill it, which since the fall hath beene impossible. Wherefore as without imputation of Christs sufferings we could not bee freed from hell; so without his obedience and perfect conformity to the Law imputed unto us, wee cannot be justified or saved. By the former, our blessed Saviour hath redeemed us from the curse hGal. 3. 13.of the Law, himselfe being made a curse for us; by the latter hee maketh us partakers of the promised blessednesse, by performing for us that righteousnesse, which was the condition of the promise, Doe this and live.
The negative part is, that by the onelyonly passive righteousnesse of Christ the Law is not fulfilled. The Law indeed is thereby fully satisfied in our behalfe for the avoiding of the penalty therein threatned; but not fulfilled in respect of the commandement for the obtaining of the blessednesse therein promised. For the righteousnesse, which is of the Law, is thus described, that the man iRom. 10. 5.which doth those things (which are commanded) shall live therein.And that is defended against divers excep… ons. First, that the Law is satisfied by bearing the penalty.
§ IIII. Against this assumption divers exceptions are taken. First, that the Law is satisfied either by doing that which is commanded, or by bearing the punishment, which is threatned. Answ. It is true in respect of the penall statutes of men, but not in respect of Gods commandements, in which there is not onelyonly a penalty threatned, but blessednesse also promised. If man had continued in his integrity, the Law might have beene satisfied by obedience onelyonly: but being fallen into a state of disobedience, two things are necessarily required to the fulfilling of the Law; the bearing of the penalty, in respect of sinne already committed, to escape hell; and the perfect performing of the commandements, which is the condition of the covenant, Doe this and live, to attaine to the life promised: but neither alone will suffice to justification. For neither will our obedience satisfie for the punishment kDe justis. lib. 2. cap. 10. Scct. Deinde.as Bellarmine confesseth; nor the bearing of the punishment performe the condition of the promise. But both must concurre.
§ V. Inst. I. But it will be said, that whosoever are freed from hell, Secondly, that those who are freed from hell, are admitted untobeaven.are also admitted into heaven. Answ. The reason thereof is, because our Saviour, who did beare the punishment to free them from hell, did also fulfill the commandements to bring them to heaven. But howsoever these two benefits of Christ doe alwayes concurre in the party justified; as the causes thereof concurre in Christ, who not onelyonly did both obey and suffer, but in obeying suffered, and in suffering obeyed: yet both the causes betweene themselves and the effects are to be distinguished. For as it is one thing to obey the commandement, another to suffer the punishment: so it is one thing to be freed from hell by Christ his suffering the penalty, another to be entituled to heaven by his fulfilling the commandements.
§ VI. Inst. II. Yea but God is a most free Agent, and thereforeThirdly, that God may justifie by the passive righteousnesse onelyonly if bee will. may if he will justifie men by the passive righteousnesse of Christ onelyonly without fulfilling of the Law. Answ. What God may doe, if hee will, I will not dispute; but …ure I am, that he justifieth men according to his will revealed in his word. Wherein it is revealed, first, that God hath taken that course for the justifying and saving of sinners, as serveth most for the illustration of the glory of his justice, lRom. 3. 25, 26.as well as of his mercy. And therefore as in mercy he freeth none from hell, for whom his justice is not satisfied: so in mercy hee admitteth none to heaven, for whom Christ hath not by his obedience merited the fame. Secondly, it is revealed, that the judgement of God is according to the mRom. 2. 2.truth, and therefore he justifieth none by his sentence, but such as hee maketh just by imputation of Christs righteousnesse; thereby not onelyonly absolving them from their sinnes, but also accepting, yea constituting them righteous in CHRIST. Thirdly, that as wee are justified from our sinnes by the blood of Christ; so we are made nRom. 5. 9. 19.just by his obedience: that as he was made finne for us, so we were made o2 Cor. 5. 21.the righteousnesse of God in him; that as wee are reconciled unto God by the death pRom. 5. 10.of his Sonne, so wee are justified and saved by his life: by his life, I say, which he lived before his death in the dayes of his flesh; and by the life which he lived, and doth live, after his death. By the acts of his life before his death, meritoriously; by the acts of his life after his death, as his qRom. 4. 25.resurrection, his ascension, his session at the right hand of his Father and intercession, his comming againe to judgement, hee saveth us effectually, that Christ as hee was made unto us redemption, so also righteousnesse; that as hee came to deliver us from sinne, so to1 Cor. 1. 30. Dan. 9. 24. bring in everlasting righteousnesse, Dan. 9. 24.
§ VII. Inst. III. If we bee justified by Christ his fulfilling of theIf by Christs fulfilling of the Law, then by a legall righteousnesse. Law then wee are justified by a legall righteousnesse; but wee are not justified by a legall justice; but by such a righteousnesse, as without the Law is revealed in the Gospell. Answ. The same righteousnesse, by which we are justified, is both legall and Evangelicall in divers respects. Legall, in respect of Christ, who being made under the rGal. 4 5.Law, that hee might redeeme us, who were under the Law, perfectly fulfilled the Law for us. Evangelicall, in respect of us, unto whom his fulfilling of the Law is imputed. And herein standeth the maine, both agreement and difference betweene the Law and the Gospell. The agreement, that both unto justification require the perfect fulfilling of the Law: the difference, that the Law requireth to justification perfect obedience to be performed in our owne persons. The Gospell propoundeth to justification the righteousnesse of sRom. 1. 17. 3. 21.God, that is, the perfect righteousnesse of Christ, who is God, performed for us, and accepted in the behalfe of them that beleeve, as if it had been performed in their own persons.The second reason out of Rom. 5. 19.
§ VIII. Our second reason. As by the disobedience of the first Adam, by which he transgressed the Law, men were made sinners, his disobedience being imputed to them: so by the obedience tRom. 5. 19.of the second Adam whereby hee fulfilled the Law, men are made righteous, his obedience being imputed to them. In answer to this argument, two novelties are broached; the former, that as wee were made sinners by one act of disobedience committed by one man, and that but once: so we are justified by one act of obedience performed by one and that but once; which was that oblation of Christ, whereby hee but once uHeb. 9. & 10.offered himselfe. Whereunto I reply, first, that betweene sinne, whereby the Law is broken, and obedience whereby the Law is fulfilled, there is great ods. The Law is broken by any one act of sinne; for hee that offendeth in any *Iam. 2. 10.one, is guilty of all. But the Law is not fulfilled by any one act of obedience, but by a totall, perfect, and perpetuall observation of the Law; for by the sentence xGal. 3. 10.of the Law hee is accursed, whosoever doth not continue in all the things which are written in the booke of the Law to doe them. But in no one act of obedience, there neither is, nor can bee a continuance in doing all the things that are commanded. Secondly, that although the obedience by which we are justified was but of one man, yet it was not one act, but as the Apostle calleth it in the verse going yRom. 5. 18.before, foreign. Now foreign zRom. 8. 4.is all that the Law requireth to justification. The second Novelty is, that neither Adam in sinning transgressed the Law, nor our Saviour in his obedience to death obeyed the Law. For neithe… the commandement given to the first Adam concerning the forbidden fruit, nor the commandement given to the second Adam concerning his suffering of death for us, was any commandement of the Law; no more than the commandement given to Abraham for the sacrificing of his sonne, or duplicate page duplicate page to the Israelites for the spoiling of the Aegyptians, but a speciall commandement. Whereto I reply, that although every thing which God commandeth in particular, be not expressed in the Law; yet wee have a generall commandement aDeut. 12. 32.expressed in the Law, that whatsoever God commandeth we must doe; and if we doe it not, we sinne; and every sinne is foreign, that is, b1 Ioh. 3. 4.a transgression of the Law.
§ IX. Our third reason. If Christ by his conformity to the Law fulfilled the Law for us, then his obedience in fulfilling of the Law isThirdly, because Christ bis obedience is accepted for u…. accepted of God in our behalfe, as if wee had fulfilled it in our owne persons: but Christ by his conformity to the Law fulfilled the Law for us; therefore his obedience in fulfilling of the Law is accepted of God in our behalfe, as if wee had fulfilled it in our owne persons; that is to say, both his habituall and actuall righteousnesse is imputed to us. The consequence of the proposition is necessary, for if hee performed obedience for us and in our behalfe; he performed it in vaine, if it be not accepted for us and in our behalfe. The assumption also is of necessary truth; for first, that Christ did fulfill the Law it is evident, for himselfe professeth, that he came to fulfill the Law, Matth. 5. 17. that it becameMatth. 5. 17. 3. 15. Ioh. 8. 29. him to fulfill all righteousnesse, Matth. 3. 15. that he did alwayes those things which please God, Ioh. 8. 29. and the Scripture testifieth, that not for himselfe but for us hee fulfilled foreign, cRom. 5. 18. 8. 4.whatsoever the Law requireth to justification: that his whole life was a perpetuall course of obedience, dPhil. 2. 8.foreign, even untill his death; which he performed not for himselfe; for as hee was incarnate, not for himselfe, but for us men and for our salvation, (for it was the exinanition ePhil. 2. 7.of himselfe) so being incarnate, he sanctificed fIoh. 17. 15.himselfe for us, and was made under the gGal. 4. 5.Law, not for himselfe, for that was a farther degree of humiliation; that being man hee humbled himselfe to bee obedient, hPhil. 2. 8. Rom. 10. 4.even untill his death, and therein also humbled himselfe to undergoe the death of the crosse. The Apostle Rom. 10. 4. teacheth, that Christ is th… end, that is, the perfection foreign, as the Greeke Fathers speake; that is, complement of the Law to all that beleeve unto righteousnesse, that is, that hee hath fulfilled the Law for all beleevers, in so much that all who truely beleeve, have in Christ fulfilled the Law. Upon which place Remigius writing saith, Christus fin… …gis, in completio legis, Christ the end of theChrysost. in Rom. 10. 4. Law, that is, the fulfilling of the Law; Theodoret. He that beleeveth in our Lord Christ, hee hath fulfilled the scope of the Law, and what that is Chrysostome sheweth. For, saith hee, What did the Law intend? To make a man just, but it was not iforeign.able, for never any fulfilled it; but this end our Saviour Christ hath kforeign.more amply accomplished through faith, if therefore lforeign.thou beleevest in Christ, th… hast not onelyonly fulfilled the Law, but much more than it commanded, for thou hast received a farre greater righteousnesse, and what can that be, but the righteousnesse of Christ? And Photias, mforeign.whosoever therefore, saith the Apostle, beleeveth in Christ, hee fulfilleth the Law. Sedulius likewise, nPerfectionem habet Legis, qui credit in Christum.hee hath the perfection of the Law, who beleeveth in Christ. This therefore doth plainely prove, that Christs obedience in fulfilling the Law is imputed to all that beleeve unto righteousnesse, as if themselves had fulfilled it. And this is the conceived doctrine of the Church of England, oHomil. of salvation. part. 1.that Christ satisfied the justice of God and redeemed us, not onelyonly by the oblation of his body and shedding of his blood, but also by the full and perfect fulfilling of the Law, and the same was taught by pI…st. lib. 2. cap. 16. §. 5.Calvin (not to mention all the rest of our Divines) Christum sc. nos reconciliasse Deo, & justitiam acquisivisse toto obedientiae suae cursu.
§. X. But against this assumption divers things are objected:Object. 1. That Christ obeyed the Law not for us, but for himse…fe. first, they feare not to say (which I feare to relate,) that Christ obeyed the Law not for us, but for himselfe: for they say, that Christ, as he was man, was bound to obey the Law for himselfe; which assertion detracteth from the merit of his obedience, from the bounty of his Grace, from the dignity of his person. From his merit; for if his obedience were of duety, then were it not meritorious, as himselfe teacheth, Luk. 17. 10. for Debitum non est meritum. And if this be true, that ChristsLuk. 17. 10. obedience is not meritorious, than have we no title to heaven. From his bounty; if what he did indeed for us, and not for himselfe, hee should be thought to have done for himselfe, and not for us. From the dignity of his pe…son; as if either he needed to obey for himselfe, or by his obedience hee were any way bettered in himselfe or improved. But these men shold have remembred, that the person, who (as both of us confesse) did obey the Law, was and is not onelyonly man but God also, and therefore, as his bloud was Gods bloud, qAct. …0. 28.so his obedience was the obedience rPhil. 2. 6, 8.of God; and consequently was performed not of duty, nor for himselfe. For if of duty, then had God been a debtor to the Law: Neither needed the humane nature, being by personall union united to the divine, to obey, or to merit for it selfe; seeing from the first moment of the conception thereof, it was personally united to the Deity of the Sonne of God, in whose person it subsisting was, from the beginning of the being thereof, most happy, and enjoying the beatificall vision, being at that time, as the Schoolemen speake both viator & comprehensor. Neither did the humane nature, which doth not subsist by it selfe, work any thing by it selfe in the worke of our redemption, but God manifested s1 Tim. 3. 16.in the flesh, did in and by it both obey and suffer for us. And as the eternall Son of God, being God coequall with the Father, assumed the humane nature and became man, not for himselfe, for his incarnation was an tforeign. Phil. 2. 7.abasing of himselfe, as it were, to nothing (for man compared to God is as uEsay 40. 17.nothing, if not as lesse than nothing) but for us men and for our salvation: so being man, whatsoever he did or suffered in obedience to God, was not for himselfe (for it was a further *Phil. 2. 8.debasing of himselfe) but for us: and as for us he sanctified himselfe, Iohn 17. 17. so for us he performed all righteousnesse, Matth. 3. 15. and fulfilled the Law for us, Matth. 5. 17. that whatsoever the Law requireth to justification might bee fulfilledObject. 2. Of the Papists in it, Rom. 8. 4.
§. XI. But here the Papists object, xR…mists in Phil. 2. Sect. 1. That Christ merited for himselfe. Phil. 2. 9.that our Saviour Christ by his humiliation did merit his exaltation; because the Apostle saith, that therefore God exalted him, Phil. 2. 9. Answere. In every aetiologie the reason, which is rendred, is in a large sense called the cause, though it may be any other argument, which is not the cause of the Consequent, but of the consequence; as here, humiliation was not the cause, but the way to exaltation: and exaltation not the effect; but the consequent, asLuk. 24. 26. it is said, Luk. 24. 26. ought not Christ to suffer these things and so to enter to his glory? And this appeareth by the scope of the Apostle in that place; which is to exhort us to the imitation yPhil. 2. 3, 4. 5.of our Saviour Christ his charity and humility. Of his charity, in that hee being God, for our sakes became man; and being man zver. 6, 7, 8. vers. 9.humbled himselfe further, and became obedient untill his death, even the death of the crosse. Of his humility, in that it was the way to his glory. For before honour aProv. 15. 33. 18. 12.is humility, and he that humbleth himselfe shall be exalted. But humiliation is so farre from being the cause of exaltation, that it is the contraryLuk. 18. 14. to it; even as corruption to generation, and losse to recovery, yet because recovery presupposeth losse, and the generation of one the corruption of another, and the exaltation of the Sonne of God, his foregoing humiliation: therefore each of these may be said to be causa sine qua non, as all necessary forerunners may, though they be no causes: Even as Fabius, when Livius Salinator bad him remember, that by his meanes hee had recovered …; Why should I not remember it, saith he, I had never recovered it, unlesse thou hadd…st lost it, Cic. 2. de Oratore.
And further I adde, that the exaltation of Christ, whereof the Apostle bPhil. 2. 9.speaketh, was not the exaltation of him to be the Sonne of God; for that hee was from all eternity, but the manifestation thereof. For although in respect of Christs resurrection, cAct 13 33. Psal. 2. 7. Heb. 1. 5.especially it be said, Thou art my Sonne, this day have I begotten thee; yet was not Christ then first begotten, whose generation is eternall; but then he was mightily declared to bee the Sonne of God by his resurrection, Rom. 1. 4. andRom. 1. 4. this was that name above all names, which God did give unto him after his humiliation, his manifesting and declaring him by his resurrection to be the Sonne of God. So the Apostle saith, Heb. 1. 4, 5. that ChristHeb. 1. 4, 5. hath obtained a more excellent name than the Angels: For unto which of the Angells said he at any time, Thou art my Sonne, this day I have begotten thee? This exaltation was a necessary consequent of his humiliation, and that in two respects; first, for avoyding the scandall of the crosse, for having taken upon him the forme of a servant, and therein having humbled himselfe to become obedient untill death, and to the death of the crosse; it was necessary, lest men should take offence at his great humiliation, and refuse to beleeve in a man that had beene crucified, that he should mightily be declared to bee the Sonne of God by his resurrection, ascension, and sitting at the right hand of his Father; secondly, this declaration of Christ to bee the Sonne of God was to follow his humiliation as a necessary stay of our faith in Christ, for if Christ had not risen againe; *1 Cor. 15. 14. 17.then had our faith beene vaine, and wee had remained in our sinnes. But by his resurrection and exaltation, whereby he was powerfully declared to be the eternall Sonne of God; wee understand, that the obedience, which he had performed, and the suffering which hee sustained for us, were not the obedience and sufferings of m…re a man, but of him that is God; for which cause Saint Peter saith, that God did raise him and give him glory, that our faith d1 Pet. 1. 21.and hope might be in God.
§. XII. If they will needs with the Arrians *See Cyril. Thesaur. lib. 3. cap. 2. Christs …xaltation was bis manifestation to be the Sonne of God.understand the place of Christs exaltation it selfe, which is his filiation, and not of the declaration thereof; thereupon it will follow, that Christ by his obedience and sufferings in the humane nature, had merited to bee God; but this hee had not by purchase, but by nature, and therefore himselfe prayed a little before his death, Ioh. 17. 5. And now Father glorifie mee with the Ioh. 17. 5.glory, (not which I have merited by my death, but with that glory) which I had with thee before the world wa…. And it is evident, that the glory whereunto Christ in this place is said to be exalted, is proper to God himselfe, Esay 45. 22. And this may suffice for this point, for I will notEsay 45. 22. trouble the Reader with those two other allegations of our Rhemists, the one out of Apoc. 5. 12. that the Lambe which was slaine, was worthyApoc. 5. 12. to receive power and (as they read) Divinity: from whence they should prove, if they prove any thing, that Christ by his sufferings in his humanity, merited his Divinity. The other, Heb. 2. 9. that Christ,Heb. 2. 9. because of the passion of death, was crowned with glory and honour: where the words are thus to be construed, according to the distinction and interpretation of the eSee D. Fulke in his answer to the Rhemists Heb. 2. 9.Fathers: wee see Iesus crowned with glory and honour, who for a shor… time was made lesse than the Angels (viz. by hi… incarna…ion) for the suffering of death (that is,) that hee might suffer death; or as the Apostle speaketh, that by the grace of God hee might (viz. in the humane nature assumed,) tast of death for all.
§. XIII. Object. 3. If Christ obeyed the Law for us that by hisObject. 3. If Christ obeyed the Law for us, then we need not to ob…y it. obedience we might be justified, then shall not wee need to obey the Law: but the consequent is absurd, therefore the antecedent. I answere; that we need not to obey the Law to that end that we may thereby be justified, for from that yoke of most miserable bondage excluding us from …; if we doe no… perfectly fulfill the Law in our owne persons, our Saviour Christ hath freed us; the condition, which the Law requireth to justification, being utterly impossible to us by reason of the flesh. But howsoever we cannot perfectly fulfill the Law, that we must thinke our selves bound sincerely to keepe it: that is, we must have an … desire, an unsained purpose, a serious care, an upright endevour to walke in the obedience of Gods commandements, in this study and practice of piety consisteth our new obedience, which we must be carefull to performe, not to be justified thereby, but to glorifie God, to obey his will, to restifie our thankfulnesse towards him, to edifie our brethren; to gather sound testimonies to our selves and assurance of our2 Pet. 1. 10. justification; and so to make our calling and our election sure.Object. 4. If we bee justified by the obedience of his life, what needed hee to die for us.
§. XIV. Object. 4. If wee be justified by the obedience of Christs life, what needed he to dye for us? Answ. the chiefest part of his obedience was to be performed at his death: His totall obedience was his fulfilling of the whole Law for us. The Law since the fall is fulfilled, neither by an obedience conformable to the commandements alone, because wee are all sinners, nor by suffering the punishment alone, but by both. And therefore Christ performed both for us, that by both we might be justified. But this objection I will requite with
§ XV. Our fourth reason. If wee bee justified altogether by theOur fourth rea son, to what end served the obe dience Christ, i… we b… justified onelyonly by his susserings. death and passion of Christ onelyonly, to what end and purpose serveth his habituall righteousnesse and actuall obedience, by which hee was obedient to the Law in the whole course of his life, doing alwayes those things which are f…oh 8. 29.pleasing to God, performing gMatth. 3. 15.all righteousnesse, fulfilling hMatth. 5. 17.the Law, and whatsoever the Law iRom. 8. 4.requireth to justification? These things, as I shewed before, he did not for himselfe, therefore for us and in our stead. To this some of our aforesaid Divines doe answer, that Christ indeed fulfilled the Law for our sakes: but they put a difference betweene pro and propter, saying, that Christ obeyed the Law pro se, not pro nobis, sed propter nos, that is, for our sakes, but not for us, or in our stead, which some expresse thus, that he might be sanctus Pon…ifex, and sacra Victima, an holy Priest and an holy Sacrifice. Others thus, that these things are required in Christ, that in his blood hee may bee righteousnesse unto us. Answ. 1. That there is no such distinction in the Scriptures, but the words, foreign, in this very point of Christs doing or suffering for us, are used indifferently: foreign, 1 Cor. 8. 11. foreign, Ioh. 17. 19. Rom. 5. 8. Luk. 22. 20. 1 Cor. 11. 24. foreign, Matth. 26. 28. Mark. 14. 24. 1 Ioh. 2. 2. foreign, Matth. 20. 28. Mark. 10. 45. Neither is this distinction acknowledged by the Fathers, who acknowledge that Christ obeyed pro nobis. Cyril. de rect â fide, ad Reginam Theodoret. therapeut. 10. pag. 148. that hee was baptized pro nobis: Aug. tract. 4. in Ioan. & tract. 111. that he who dyed for us, liveth pro nobis. Cyril. Thesaur. lib. 9. cap. 2. That he was made a Priest pro nobis. Idem in Ioan. lib. 2. cap. 1. pro omnibus mortuus, pro omnibus resurrexit, &c. Answ. 2. This to me seemeth but a shallow conceit. For who is the Priest, and what is the Sacrifice? Was not the Priest the Son of God, both God and Man? Was not the Sacrifice the flesh or human nature of the Son of God? Surely, if Christ had never submitted himselfe to obey the Law, yet he being God, had been a most holy Priest; his body and blood being the body and blood of God, had beene a most holy and all-sufficient Sacrifice. Neither was it the holinesse of the humanity that sanctified the sacrifice, or gave the vertue of satisfaction unto it; but the dignity of the person, and the vertue of the Godhead, which made the righteousnesse of the Man Christ, as well active as passive, to bee meritorious and satisfactory for others. Iesus Christ therefore being both God and Man, was and is our high Priest, who offered the sacrifice of his humanity upon the altar of his Deity, which sanctified the sacrifice and made it an all-sufficient satisfaction for the sinnes of all that beleeve. It is the Spirit, saith our Saviour Christ, that giveth life, the flesh (by it selfe) profiteth nothing, Ioh. 6. 63. the sufferings or obedience of Christ, as hee is Man,Ioh. 6. 63. considered apart from the Godhead, are neither satisfactory nor meritorious for others; but being the sufferings of God, they are a sufficient price of ransome to free us from hell; and being the obedience of God, is of sufficient merit to entitle us unto the kingdome of heaven.
§. XVI. Our fifth reason. There are two parts of justification, theOur fifth reason: that there are two parts of justification. one, the absolving from the guilt of sinne and damnation; the other, the accepting of a beleeving sinner, as righteous unto life: the former, is wrought by the sufferings of Christ imputed, as a full satisfaction for sinne; the other, by imputation of Christs perfect obedience, as a sufficient merit of eternall life: by the former we are freed from hell, by the latter we are entituled to the kingdome of heaven. Of them both theRom. 5. 9. 19. Apostle speaketh, Rom. 5. that we are justified, that is, absolved from our sinne, by the bloud of Christ. v. 9. and that wee are justified, that is, constituted just by his obedience, vers. 19. To this argument they answere by denying the antecedent; saying, that there are no parts of justification, but that it wholly consisteth in remission of sinnes. Indeed if it were the onelyonly matter of justification, as some of them teach, and the entire formall cause of justification, as others avouch, of whom we shall speake in the next Chapter; I say, if both these opinions were true, then I would confesse, that the whole nature of justification doth consist in forgivenesse of sinne; but whiles it is either, but the matter, as some say; or but the forme, as others; or neither of both, as I avouch: it is a manifest errour to say, that justification consisteth wholly in remission of sinnes. Againe, in every mutation, though it be but relative, we must of necessity acknowledge two termes; t…rminum à quo, & terminum ad quem; the denomination being taken commonly from the terminus ad quem. As in justification there is a motion or mutation from sinne to justice, (from which terme justification hath its name) from a state of death and damnation, to a state of life and Salvation. But if justification be nothing else but bare remission of sinne, then is there in it onelyonly a not imputing of sinne; but no acceptation as righteous: a freedome from hell, but no title to heaven. To this they answere; that to whom sinne is not imputed, righteousnesse is imputed; and they who are freed from hell, are admitted to heaven. I doe grant, that these things doe alwayes concurre; but yet they are not to bee confounded, for they differ in themselves, and in their causes, and in their effects: in themselves, for it is one thing to bee acquitted from the guilt of sinne, another thing to be made righteous; as wee see daily in the pardons of malefactors: in their causes, for remission of sinne is to be attributed to Christs satisfactory, sufferings; the acceptation as righteous unto life, to Christs meritorious obedience. In their effects, for by remission of sinne wee are freed from hell; and by imputation of Christs obedience, we have right unto heaven.
§. XVII. If unto justification there be required besides remissionObject. Then there be two formall causes of justification. of sinne, Imputation of righteousnesse; then there are two formall causes; of justification. Answ. It followeth not, for although there bee two t…rmini in this mutation, yet there is but one action; and this one action is the onelyonly forme of justification, viz. imputation of Christs righteousnesse; of which are two effects, which also be the two parts of justification, remission of sinne, and acceptation as righteous; as I said in the definition, that justification is an action of God, wherein hee imputing the righteousnesse of Christ to a beleeving sinner, doth not onelyonly absolve him from his sinnes, but also accepteth of him as righteous, and as an heire of eternall life.
§. XVIII. Notwithstanding this so evident truth, some of theThat justificati. on doth not consist on…ly in remission of sinnes. Divines, of whom we spake, when they would prove justification by the passive righteousnesse of Christ onelyonly, take this position for granted, that justification is nothing but remission of sinne, and hereupon inferre, that seeing wee have remission of sinne onelyonly by the bloud of Christ, we are justified by his bloud onelyonly: And to this purpose they alleage many testimonies of Scriptures, affirming that by the bloud of Christ and by his death and passion wee have remission of sinne; to all which we readily subscribe. But if there be any other places that seeme to ascribe unto the sufferings of Christ more than remission of sinnes, as entrance into heaven and salvation, &c. such places are to be understood by a Synecdoche, putting the chie…e and most eminent part of his obedience for the whole. Others labour to prove this assertion, that justification is nothing but remission of sinne, by testimonies, and by reasons; and to this purpose collect a multitude of testimonies of Protestant Divines, who against the Papists have maintained, that justification confisteth in remission of sinnes onelyonly. But this assertion, as hereafter I shall shew, is to be understood as spoken in opposition to the Papists, who unto justification, besides remission of sinnes, require inward renovation or sanctification; and therefore their meaning was to exclude from justification, not imputation of righteousnesse, which alwayes concurreth in the same act with remission of sinne, and without which there can be no remission; for by the same act of imputation of Christs whole and entire righteousnesse, we have both remission of sinnes, and acceptation unto life; but to exclude renovation à ratione justificationis, from the proper nature of justification; as if they had said, wee are not justified both by remission and renovation, as the Papists teach, but by remission without renovation; that is, in their meaning, by remission onelyonly: and this is acknowledged by Bellarmine himselfe, as hereafter shall bee shewed. And forasmuch as by remission of sinne wee have an imputative righteousnesse, for to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne, to him he imputeth righteousnesse without workes, as the Apostle proveth, Rom. 4. 6, 7. therefore, when it is said, that we are justified by remissionRom. 4 6, 7. onelyonly, and not by renovation; it is all one, as if wee said, that wee are justified by imputation onelyonly, and not by infusion of righteousnesse.Their chiese argument, because remission is as well of sinnes of omission as of commission.
§ XIX. Their chiefe argument to prove their assertion is this. Remission is as well of the sinnes of omission as of commission. As therefore he, whose sinnes of commission are remitted, is reputed, as if hee had done nothing forbidden: so whose sinnes of omission are remitted, is reputed, as if hee had left undone nothing that is commanded. Now hee that is reputed as if hee had neither done any thing forbidden, nor left undone any thing that is commanded; hee is reputed, as if hee had fulfilled the whole Law.
I answer by distinction, if they consider remission of sinnes barely without imputation of righteousnesse (as they must, if they will make good their assertion) then hee that hath onelyonly remission of the sins both of commission and omission, is freed from the guilt of both, but not from the fault. For notwithstanding such remission of his sinnes, he is a sinner, as having both committed what is forbidden, and also omitted what is commanded. Yet by remission or not imputation of sinne hee is freed from the punishment, and a r…atu poenae, from the guilt binding over to punishment, as if hee had neither committed any thing forbidden, nor omitted any thing commanded. Hee therefore that h…th remission is reputed, as having neither committed any evill, nor omitted any good; not simply or absolutely, but in respect of the punishment, and the guilt which bindeth over to punishment. As for example, a male…actour being convicted of Felony, is by the Kings pardon acquitted both from the punishment and the guilt binding him over to punishment; but yet notwithstanding his fault remaineth, …nd for all his pardon hee is a theefe. But if they conceive of remission of sinn…, as having the imputation of righteousnesse concurring with it, as alwaies it happeneth in Gods justification of a sinner; then it is true, that he… to whom his sinnes are remitted, that is, to whom sinne is not imputed, and righteousnesse is imputed, is reputed simply and absolutely, as if he had neither committed any thing forbidden, nor omitted any thing commanded, but as if he had fulfilled the whole Law. For it is not in Gods pardon as it is in mens: A man by his pardon may remit the punishment and the guilt binding over to punishment; but hee cannot take away the fault, neither can hee by his pardon, make the offendor just. But whom God doth justifie, hee maketh them righteous by imputation of Christs righteousnesse, whereby hee doth not onelyonly free them from the guilt of sinne and damnation; but also covering their fault he accepteth, ye… constituteth them righteous and heires of eternall life. For Gods judgement is according to truth, and therefore hee justifieth none but such as are just, though not by righteousnesse inherent, for so none mPsal. …43. 2. Gal. 2. 16.are or can bee justified, yet by righteousnesse imputed. Iustification therefore is not onelyonly an acqui…ing of a sinner from punishment by the not imputing of sinne, but also an acc…pting of him to life by imputation of perfect righteousnesse: not onelyonly a freeing of a man from hell, but also the entituling of him to …: not onelyonly a forgiving of our debt, which Christ our surety hath paid for us, but also an enriching of us with the inestimabl… … of Christs most p… fect righteousnesse.
§ XX. To this argument some doe adde a second not unlike, whosoeverObject. By remission we are made innocent and therefore just. are innocent they are just; by remission of sinnes men are innocent; therefore by remission of sinnes men are just. Answ. The proposition is not generally and necessarily true, for wee may conceive a man to bee innocent, who is not just: for innocency is but an absence of sinne, not importing a presence of righteousnesse. Infants if they were cleare from originall sinne, were innocent, but not just. To the assumption, I answer, that by the bare remission of sinnes without imputation of righteousnesse men are not innocent: for bare remission is like to a Kings pardon, which taketh away the punishment, but not the fault. But if they speake of remission of sinne accompanied with imputation of Christs righteousnesse, then I will confesse, that by remission of sinne men are made both innocent and just. But that righteousnesse imputed which shall make a man just, must not stand in suffering onelyonly, but in an universall conformity with the Law of God. You have heard our arguments, and their answers: now let us examine their proofes.
§ XXI. The principall authour of this Novelty hath three arguments.Three arguments of I. P. The first is this; Whereby we have entrance into heaven, thereby1 alone we are justified: by the blood of Christ wee have entrance into heaven; therefore by the blood of Christ alone wee are justified. Answ. The proposition if it had beene propounded thus, by what wee have entrance into heaven, by that wee are justified; or thus, by what alone we have entrance into heaven, by that alone wee are justified, had been true; but as it is propounded, it is false: for we have entrance into heaven by his resurrection, ascension, and intercession, (not to speake of his obedience, by which notwithstanding wee are as the Apostle saith, justified, and entituled to heaven) yet we are not justified by any of these alone. If his meaning be that by the blood alone of Christ we have entrance into heaven, the assumption also is false, unlesse hee either by a Synecdoche doe under one principall include all the merits of Christ, or exclude all other meanes out of Christ, who is our onelyonly Saviour.
His second argument, Sablata privatione ponitur habitus, therefore sinne being remitted and taken away, justice followeth of its owne accord.2 To which I answer briefly, that neither the punishment, nor the guilt, which onelyonly (as themselves teach) are taken away in justification, are privations, nor the justice which is acquired is an habit in the party justified: and therefore that Logicall Axiome doth not serve his turne.
His third argument; If we are justified onelyonly by remission of sinnes,3 then not by that righteousnesse which is in Christ: but we are justified onelyonly by remission of sinnes. Answ. The consequence of the proposition is unsound, for although wee were justified by remission of sinnes alone; yet wee were justified by imputation of Christs passive obedience, at the least, unto remission of sinnes. The assumption hee proveth, first, by this reason; because otherwise our sinnes being remitted, wee should still remaine accursed. Answ. It followeth not, for together with remission of sinnes by imputation of Christs sufferings, concurreth acceptation unto life by imputation of Christs obedience, without which we could not be said to have fulfilled the Law in Christ. Secondly, by the authority of Calvin, whom in this case these men abuse worse than the Papists. For Bellarmine kDe justis l. 2. c. 6, though he object against Calvin, as these men doe, that he placeth justification onelyonly in remission of sinnes; yet he consesseth lDe justis. l. 2. c. 1, that his meaning thereby was not to exclude imputation of Christs righteousnesse, but renovation or sanctification. And he citeth these words out of mLib. 3. c. 11. sect. 2.Calvins institutions, that hee placeth justification in peccatorum remissione, & justitiae Christi imputatione, in the remission of sinnes, and imputation of Christs righteousnesse. And againe nSect. 3., that God, when he doth justifie us, he doth absolve us by imputation of righteousnesse, that in Christ wee may be accepted as just, who in our selves are not. Wherefore, saith hee, when Calvin in the same Chapter, §. 21. and 22. and in his Antidote unto the Councell of Trent, Sess. 6. doth contend, that justification consisteth only in remission of sinnes; he doth not exclude the imputation of Christs righteousnesse, but inward renovation and sanctification. The same Bellarmine confesseth oDe justif. l. 2. c. 1. & 6., that those whom he calleth Lutherans. (who indeed are very sound in this point) doe all of them place justification in the imputation of Christs righteousnesse, which assertion of theirs is most true, because by imputation of Christs righteousnesse wee have not onelyonly remission o… sinnes, but also acceptation unto life, as being righteous in Christ; not onelyonly freedome from hell, but also right and title to the Kingdome of Heaven.
§ XXII. Another treating of this point, affirmeth, that Christ is theThe arguments of J. F. matter of our justification, and is made righteousnesse unto us in his passive obedience onelyonly; and yet confesseth, that both the holinesse of his person and the obedience of his life are necessarily required, that he might be meet to become our righteousnesse in his sufferings. But this is frivolous: because, as I noted before, he being perfect God, as well as perfect man, had beene in his sufferings an All-sufficient satisfaction for our sinnes, though hee had never submitted himselfe to the obedience of the Law. But the divine Nature of the Sonne of God, and the dignity of his person, as it made his sufferings all-sufficiently satisfactory for our sinnes, to redeeme us from hell, because they were the sufferings of God, the blood of God, &c. so it made his obedience all-sufficiently meritorious to constitute and make us righteous, and to make us Heires of Eternall life; because it was the obedience or righteousnesse of God. For the Sonne of God was made under pGal. 4. 4, 5.the Law, that he might not onelyonly redeeme us, who were under the Law, by his sufferings; but also that by his meritorious obedience we might receive the Adoption of sonnes. But he proveth Christ to bee our righteousnesse onelyonly in his passive obedience, because it onelyonly was both prefigured in the types and figures of the Law, and also represented in the sacraments. As touching the types and figures of the Law which prefigured Christ; they were either figures of his person and office, or they represented his benefits, as namely and especially justification or …anctification. And those, which figured his benefit of justification, either represented the remission of sinne by his sufferings; or acceptation with God by his obedience, or both. The ceremony of qGen. 35. 2. Z…ch. 3. 4.changing their clothes, when they were to come before God, did import that those who desired to please God, must be clothed with Christs righteousnesse, which is also signified by the wedding rMat. 22. 11, 12.garment, and the holy attire, wherein the Priests were to appeare before God sExod. 28. 43.The high Priests wearing of the golden plate with this inscription tExod. 28. 36. 38Holinesse of the Lord, (who is Iehovah uI…r. 23. 6.our righteousnesse) was to this end, that the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel should hallow, in all their holy gifts, being taken away, they might bee accepted before the Lord. The high Priests offering of incense upon the golden Altar, resembled the pleasing obedience of Christ in his life and death, and his intercession for us. The Arke of the Covenant was a Type of Christ the Mediator; the cover upon it, of his propitiation; the tables of Covenant within it, of his fulfilling the Law for us. The sanctification of the first fruits, which were a type of Christ (who is the first fruits of all that shall bee saved, 1 Cor. 15. 23.) was imputed to the whole increase or store, Rom. 11. 16. So …aith *Athan…s. tom. 2 advers. eos qui negant Christum …x natura no…ra s…mpsisse primitias.Athanasius, foreign; That the fulfilling of the Law performed by the first fruits (so he calleth the flesh of Christ) is imputed to the whole lumpe, &c.
§ XXIII. But come we to the Sacraments, which hee truely saithWhether the passive obedience of Christ onelyonly, be represented in the Sacraments. are the soules of that righteousnesse *Rom. 4. 11.which is by Faith. And yet, saith he, Baptisme signifieth onelyonly the washing of the soule by the bloud of Christ; the Eucharist representeth onelyonly his body broken, and his blood shed for our sinnes. Answ. Though some parts onelyonly of the benefits of Christ are represented in the severall Sacraments; yet the substance of each Sacrament is the participation of Christ wholly with all his merits and benefits. Thus in Baptisme we are incorporated into Christ, and in it we put on xGal. 3. 27.Christ, who is our righteousnesse. And it is the Sacrament, not only of remission of sinne and of justification, but also of regeneration and sanctification, we being therein conformed to his death and resurrection, Rom. 6. 3, 4, 5. In the Lords Supper we have communion with Christ, being not only united to him as yEph. 5. 30.bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh; but also have communion with him both in his merits by imputation, and in his graces by influence from him as our head. Other arguments are used by the same authour; but because in them he taketh two things for granted, which hee cannot prove; the one, that justification consisteth onelyonly in remission of sin; the other, that wee ascribe remission of sinne to Christs active obedience, I will not trouble the Reader with them. OnelyOnly let him call to minde the errours which the Authors of this opinion doe runne into for the defence thereof. First, that remission of sinnes is the matter of justification which is imputed to us. Secondly, that the Law is fully satisfied by bearing the penalty alone. Thirdly, that by one act of obedience we are made just, as wee were by one act of disobedience made sinners. Fourthly, that neither by his disobedience Ad…m did transgresse the Law, nor Christ by his obedience unto death, obey it. Fifthly, that Christ obeyed the law not for us, but for himselfe. Sixthly, that justification consisteth wholly and onelyonly in remission of sinnes. Which being for the most part consequents of this opinion, doe prove the antecedent to be false.