Aphorisms of Justification, Thesis 23
THESIS. XXIII.
IN this sence also it is so far from being an error to affirm, that Faith it self is our Righteousness,] that it is a truth necessary for every Christian to know; that is, Faith is our Evangelicall Righteousness, (in the sence before explained,) as Christ is our Legall Righteousness.
EXPLICATION.
THis Assertion, so odious those that understand not its grounds, is yet so clear from what is said before, that I need to add no more to prove it. For 1. I have cleared before, that there must be a personall Righteousness, besides that imputed, in all that are justified. And that 2. The fulfilling of the conditions of each Covenant is our Righteousness, in reference to that Covenant: But Faith is the fulfilling of the conditions of the new Covenant, therefore it is our Righteousnes in relation to that Covenant. I do not here take Faith for any one single Act, but as I shall afterward explain it.
Quest. In what sence then is Faith said to be imputed to us for righteousness, if it be our Righteousness it self?
Answ. Plainly thus; Man is become unrighteous by breaking the Law of Righteousness that was given him; Christ fully satisfieth for this transgression, and buyeth the prisoners into his own hands, and maketh with them a new Covenant, That whosoever will accept of him, and beleeve in him, who hath thus satisfied, it shall be as effectual for their Justification, as if they had fulfilled the Law of Works themselves. A Tenant forfeiteth his Lease to his Landlord, by not paying his rent; he runs deep in debt to him, and is disabled to pay him any more rent for the future, whereupon he is put out of his house, and cast into prison, till he pay the debt; his Landlords son payeth it for him, taketh him out of prison, and putteth him in his house again, as his Tenant, having purchased house and all to himself; he maketh him a new Lease in this Tenor, that paying but a pepper corn yearly to him, he shall be acquit both from his debt, and from all other rent for the future, which by his old Lease was to be paid; yet doth he not cancel the old Lease, but keepeth it in his hands to put in suite against the Tenant, if he should be so foolish as to deny the payment of the pepper corn. In this case the payment of the grain of pepper is imputed to the Tenant, as if he had payed the rent of the old Lease: Yet this imputation doth not extoll the pepper corn, nor vilifie the benefit of his Benefactor, who redeemed him: Nor can it be said, that the purchase did only serve to advance the value and efficacy of that grain of pepper. But thus; A personall rent must be paid for the testification of his homage; he was never redeemed to be independent as his own Landlord and Master: the old rent he cannot pay; his new Landlords clemency is such, that he hath resolved this grain shall serve the turn.
Do I need to apply this in the present case or cannot every man apply it? Even so is our Evangelicall Righteousness, or Faith, imputed to us for as reall Righteousness, as perfect Obedience. Two things are considerable in this debt of Righteousness; The value, and the personall performance or interest: The value of Christs Satisfaction is imputed to us, instead of the value of a perfect Obedience of our own performing, and the value of our Faith is not so imputed: But because there must be some personall performance of homage, therefore the personall performance of Faith shall be imputed to us for a sufficient personall payment, as if we had paid the full rent, because Christ whom we believe in, hath paid it, & he will take this for satisfactory homage; so it is in point of personall performance, and not of value that Faith is imputed.