The Imputation of Christs Righteousness, Polemic 1 · Chapter 1

The Imputation of Christs Righteousness · Polemic 1 · Chapter 1

p. 6CHAP. I. The Hiſtory of the Controverſie.

§ 1. IN the Goſpel it ſelf we have firſt Chriſt's Doctrine delivered by his own mouth. And in that there is ſo little ſaid of this Subject that I find few that will pretend thence to reſolve the Controverſie, for Imputation in the rigorous ſence. The ſame I ſay of the Acts of the Apoſtles, and all the reſt of the New Teſtament, except Pauls Epiſtles.

The Apoſtle Paul, having to do with the Jews, who could not digeſt the equalizing of the Gentiles with them, and ſpecially with the factious Jewiſh Chriſtians, who thought the Gentiles muſt become Proſelytes to Moſes as well as to Chriſt, if they would be Juſtified and Saved, at large confuteth this opinion, and freeth the Conſciences of the Gentile Chriſtians from the Impoſition of this yoke (as alſo did all the Apoſtles, Act. 15.) And in his arguing, p. 7proveth that the Moſaical Law is ſo far from being neceſſary to the Juſtification of the Gentiles, that Abraham and the Godly Jews themſelves were not Juſtified by it, but by Faith ▪ And that by the works of it (and conſequently not by the works of the Law or Covenant of Innocency, which no man ever kept) no man could ever be juſtified: And therefore that they were to look for Juſtification by Chriſt alone, and by Faith in him, or by meer Chriſtianity; which the Gentiles might have as well as the Jews, the Partition-wall being taken down. This briefly is the true ſcope of Paul in theſe Controverſies.

§ 2. But in Paul's own days, there were ſomethings in his Epiſtles which the unlearned and unſtable did wreſt, as they did the other Scriptures, to their own deſtruction, as Peter tells us, 2 Pet. 2. And it ſeemeth by the Epiſtle of James, that this was part of it: For he is fain there earneſtly to diſpute againſt ſome, who thought that Faith without Chriſtian works themſelves, would juſtifie, and flatly affirmeth, that we are Juſtified by Works, and not by Faith only; that is, as it is a Practical Faith, in which is contained a Conſent or Covenant to obey, which firſt putteth us into a juſtified ſtate; ſo it is that Practical Faith actually working by Love, and the actual performance of our Covenant, which by way of Condition is neceſſary to our Juſtification, as Continued and as Conſummate by the Sentence of Judgment. Againſt which ſentence of James there is not a ſyllable to be found in Paul. But all the Scripture agreeth that all men ſhall be Judged, that is, Juſtified or Condemned, according to their works. But it is not this Controverſie (between Faith and p. 8Works) which I am now to ſpeak to, having done it enough heretofore.

§ 3. From the days of the Apoſtles till Pelagius and Auguſtine, this Controverſie was little meddled with: For the truth is, the Paſtors and Doctors took not Chriſtianity in thoſe days for a matter of Shcolaſtick ſubtilty, but of plain Faith and Piety. And contented themſelves to ſay that Chriſt dyed for our ſins, and that we are Juſtified by Faith; and that Chriſt was made unto us Righteouſneſs, as he was made to us Wiſdom, Sanctification and Redemption.

§ 4. But withal thoſe three firſt Ages were ſo intent upon Holineſs of Life, as that they addicted their Doctrine, their Zeal, and their conſtant endeavours to it: And particularly to great auſterities to their Bodies, in great Faſtings, and great contemp… of the World, and exerciſes of Mortification, to kill their fleſhly Luſts, and deny their Wills, and Worldly Intereſts; to which end at laſt they got into Wilderneſſes, and Monaſteries, where, in Faſting and Prayer, and a ſingle life, they might live as it were out of the World, while they were in it; (Though indeed perſecution firſt drove them thither to ſave themſelves.) Into theſe Deſerts and Monaſteries thoſe went that had moſt Zeal, but not uſually moſt Knowledg: And they turned much of their Doctrine and diſcourſes about theſe Auſterities, and about the practices of a Godly Life, and about all the Miracles which were (ſome really) done, and (ſome feigned) by credulous ſoft people ſaid to be done among them. So that in all theſe ages moſt of their writings are taken up, 1. In defending Chriſtianity againſt the Heathens, which was the p. 9work of the Learned Doctors. 2. And in confuting ſwarms of Hereſies that ſprung up. 3. And in matters of Church-order, and Eccleſiaſtical and Monaſtical diſcipline. 4. And in the precepts of a Godly Life: But the point of Imputation was not only not meddled with diſtinctly, but almoſt all the Writers of thoſe times, ſeem to give very much to Mans free-will, and to works of Holineſs, and ſufferings, making too rare and obſcure mention of the diſtinct Intereſts of Chriſts Merits in our Juſtification, at leaſt, with any touch upon this Controverſie: Yet generally holding Pardon, and Grace and Salvation only by Chriſts Sacrifice and Merits; though they ſpake moſt of Mans Holineſs, when they called men to ſeek to make ſure of Salvation.

§ 5. And indeed at the day of Judgment, the Queſtion to be decided, will not be, Whether Chriſt dyed and did his part, but, Whether we believed and obeyed him and did our part: Not, Whether Chriſt performed his Covenant with the Father; but, Whether we performed our Covenant with him: For it is not Chriſt that is to be judged, but we by Chriſt.

§ 6. But Pelagius and Auguſtine diſputing about the Power of Nature and Freewill and the Grace of Chriſt, began to make it a matter of great Ingenuity (as Eraſmus ſpeaketh) to be a Chriſtian. Pelagius (a Brittain, of great wit, and continence, and a good and ſober life, as Auſtin ſaith, Epiſt. 120.) ſtifly defended the Power of Nature and Freewill, and made Grace to conſiſt only in the free Pardon of all ſin through Chriſt, and in the Doctrine and Perſwaſions only to a holy life for the time to come, with Gods common ordinary help. Auguſtine copiouſly p. 10(and juſtly) defended God's ſpecial eternal Election of ſome, and his ſpecial Grace given them to make them repent and believe, and preſevere: (For though he maintained that ſome that were true Believers, Lovers of God, Juſtified and in a ſtate of Salvation, did fall away and periſh, yet he held that none of the Elect did fall away and periſh; And he maintained that even the Juſtified that fell away, had their Faith by a ſpecial Grace above nature.) Vid. Auguſt. de bono Perſever. Cap. 8. & 9. & de Cor. & Grat. Cap. 8, & 9. & alibi paſſim.

§ 7. In this their Controverſie, the point of Juſtification fell into frequent debate: But no Controverſie ever aroſe between them, Whether Chriſt's perſonal Righteouſneſs conſidered Materially or Formally, was by Imputation made ours as Proprietors of the thing it ſelf, diſtinct from its effects; or, Whether God reputed us to have ſatisfied and alſo perfectly obeyed in Chriſt. For Auguſtine himſelf, while he vehemently defendeth free Grace, ſpeaketh too little even of the Pardon of ſin: And though he ſay, that Free Pardon of ſins is part of Grace, yet he maketh Juſtification to be that which we call Sanctification, that makes us inherently Righteous or new-Creatures, by the operation of the Holy Ghoſt: And he thinketh that this is the Juſtification which Paul pleadeth to be of Grace and not of works; yet including Pardon of ſin, and confeſſing that ſometimes to Juſtifie, ſignifieth in Scripture, not to make juſt, but to judg juſt. And though in it ſelf this be but de nomine, and not de re; yet, 1. no doubt but as to many texts of Scripture Auſtin was miſtaken, though ſome few texts Beza and others confeſs to be taken in his ſence: 2. And the expoſition of p. 11many texts lieth upon it. But he that took Juſtification to be by the operation of the Holy Ghoſt giving us Love to God, could not take it to be by Imputation in the rigorous ſence no queſtion; nor doth de re.

§ 8. But becauſe, as ſome that, it ſeems, never read Auguſtine, or underſtood not plain words, have nevertheleſs ventured confidently to deny what I have ſaid of his Judgment in the points of Perſeverance (in my Tract of Perſeverance) ſo, it's like ſuch men will have no more warineſs what they ſay in the point of Juſtification; I will cite a few of Auguſtin's words among many, to ſhow what he took Juſtification to be, though I differ from him de nomine.

Nec quia recti ſunt corde, ſed etiam ut recti ſint corde, pretendit Juſtitiam ſuam, quâ juſtificat impium — Quo motu receditur ab illo fonte vitae, cujus ſolius hauſtu juſtitia bibitur, bona ſcil. vita. Aug. de Spir. & Lit. Cap. 7.

Deus eſt enim qui operatur in eis & velle & operari, pro bona voluntate. Haec eſt Juſtitia Dei, hoc eſt, quam Deus donat homini quum juſtificat impium Hanc Dei juſtitiam ignorantes ſuperbi Judaei, & ſuam volentes conſtituere, juſtitiae Dei non ſunt ſubjecti.— Dei quippe dixit Juſtitiam, quae homini ex Deo eſt, ſuam vero, quam putant ſibi ſuficere ad facienda mandata ſine adjutorio & dono ejus qui legem dedit. His antem ſimiles ſunt qui cum profiteantur ſe eſſe Chriſtianos, ipſi gratiae Chriſti ſic adverſantur ut ſe humanis viribus divina exiſtiment implere mandata. Epiſt. 120. cap. 21. & 22. & Epiſt. 200.

Et de Spir. & lit. c. 26. Factores juſtificabuntur: — Non tanquam per opera, nam per Gratiam juſtificentur: p. 12Cum dicat Gratis juſtificari hominem per fidem ſine operibus legis, nihilque aliud velit intelligi, in eo quod dicit Gratu, niſi quia juſtificationem opera non precedunt: Aperte quippe alibi dicit, ſi gratiâ, jam non ex operibus: alioquin gratia non eſt gratia. Sed ſic intelligendum eſt, factores Legis juſtificabuntur, ut ſciamus eos non eſſe factores legis niſi juſtificentur; ut non juſtificatio factoribus accedat, ſed factores legis juſtificatio precedat: Quid eſt enim aliud Juſtificati, quam Juſti facti, ab illo ſcilicet qui juſtificat Impium, …t ex impio fiat juſtus? — Aut certe ita dictum eſt, Juſtificabuntur, ac ſi diceretur Juſti habebuntur, juſti deputabuntur.

Et ibid. cap. 29. Gentes qua non ſectabantur juſtitiam apprehenderunt juſtitiam; Juſtitiam autem quae ex fide eſt, impretrando eam ex Deo, non ex ſeipſis preſumendo; Iſrael vero perſequens legem juſtitiae, in legem juſtitiae, non pervenit: Quare? Quia non ex fide, ſed tanquam ex operibus: id eſt tanquam eam per ſeipſos operantes; non in ſe credentes operari Deum. Deus eſt enim qui operatur in nobis — Finis enim legis Chriſtus eſt omni credenti. Et adhuc dubitamus quae ſint opera legis, quibus homo non juſtificatur; ſi ea tanquam ſua credederit ſine adjutorio & dono Dei, quod eſt ex fide Jeſu Chriſti— Ʋt poſſit homo facere bona & Sancta, Deus operatur in homine per fidem Jeſu Chriſti, qui finis ad Juſtitiam omni credenti: id eſt, per Spiritum incorporatus factuſque membrum ejus, poteſt quiſque illo incrementum intrinſecus dante, operari juſtitiam. — Juſtificatio autem ex fide impetratur — In tantum juſtus, in quantum ſalvus. Per hanc enim fidem credemus, quod etiam nos Deus a mortuis excitet; interim Spiritu, ut in novitate ejus gratioe temperanter & juſte & pie p. 13vivamus in hoc ſeculo — qui in Reſurrectione ſibi congrua, hoc eſt, in Juſtificatione precedit: — c. 30. Fides impetrat gratiam qua Lex impleatur. —

Cap. 28. pag. 315. Ibi Lex Dei, non ex omni parte delata per injuſtitiam, profecto ſcribitur, renovata, per gratiam: Nec iſtam inſcriptionem, quae Juſtificatio eſt, poterat efficere in Judaeis Lex in tabulis ſcripta.

Ibid. Cap. 9. pag. 307, 308. Juſtitia Dei manifeſtata eſt: non dixit, Juſtitia hominis vel juſtitia propriae voluntatis, ſed juſtitia Dei; Non qua Deus juſtus eſt; ſed qua induit, hominem cum juſtificat impium. Haec teſtificatur per Legem & Prophetas. Huic quippe teſtimonium perhibent Lex & Prophetae. Lex quidem hoc ipſo, quod jubendo, & minando, & neminem juſtificando, ſatis indicat dono Dei juſtificari hominem per Adjutorium Spiritus — Juſtitia autem Dei per fidem Jeſu Chriſti, hoc eſt, per fidem qua Creditur in Chriſtum: ſicut autem iſta fides Chriſti dicta non eſt, qua Credit Chriſtus, ſic & illa Juſtitia Dei non qua Juſtus eſt Deus. Ʋtrumque enim Noſtrum eſt ſed ideo Dei & Chriſti dicitur quod ejus nobis largitate donatur. — Juſtitia Dei ſine lege eſt, quam Deus per Spiritum Gratiae Credenti confert ſine adjutorio legis. — Juſtificati gratis per gratiam ipſius: non quod ſine voluntate noſtra fiat, ſed voluntas noſtra oſtenditur infirma per legem, ut ſanet Gratia Voluntatem, & ſanata voluntas impleat Legem. — Et cap. 10. Confugiant per fidem ad Juſtificantem Gratiam, & per donum Spiritus ſuavitate juſtitiae delectati, poenam literae minantis evadant. Vid. Ep. 89. q. 2. Et lib. 3. ad Bonifac. c. 7.

Et Tract. 3. in Joan. when he ſaith that, Omnes qui per Chriſtum Juſtificati juſti, non in ſe, ſed in illo; he expoundeth it of Regeneration by Chriſt.

p. 14Et Serm. 15. de verb. Apoſt. Sine voluntate tua non erit in te Juſtitia Dei. Voluntas non eſt niſi tua; Juſtitia non eſt niſi Dei: he expounds it of Holineſs. — Traditus eſt propter delicta noſtra, & reſurrexit, propter juſtificationem noſtram. Quid eſt, Propter Juſtificationem noſtram? Ʋt juſtificet nos, & juſtos faciat nos. Eris opus Dei non ſolum quia homo es, ſed quia Juſtus es: Qui fecit te ſine te, non te juſtificat ſine te: Tamen ipſe juſtificat, ne ſit juſtitia tua. — Dei juſtitiam dat non litera occidens, ſed vivificans Spiritus. — Vid. de Grat. Chriſti Cap. 13, 14.

Abundance ſuch paſſages in Auguſtine fully ſhew that he took Juſtification to ſignifie Sanctification, or the Spirits renovation of us; and thinks it is called the Righteouſneſs of God and Chriſt, and not ours, becauſe by the Spirit he worketh it in us. And when he ſaith that bona opera ſequuntur Juſtificatum, non precedunt Juſtificandum (as in ſence he often doth) he meaneth that we are freely ſanctified, before we do good. I would cite abundance, but for ſwelling the writing, and tiring the Reader. And his followers Proſper, and Fulgentius go the ſame way, as you may eaſily find in their writings.

Johan. Crocius in his copious Treatiſe of Juſtification, Diſp. 9. p. 442. ſaith, Auguſtinum Juſtificationis nomine utramque partem complecti, id eſt, tum Remiſſionem peccatorum quae proprie Juſtificatio dicitur, tum Sanctificationem — Cum quo nos ſentimus quoad rem ipſam, tantum diſſidemus in loquendi formâ.

§ 9. The Schoolmen being led by the Scholaſtick wit of Auguſtine, fell into the ſame phraſe of ſpeech and opinions, Lombard making Auguſtine p. 15his Maſter, and the reſt making him theirs, till ſome began to look more towards the Semipelagian way.

§ 10. And when Church-Tyranny and Ignorance, had obſcured the Chriſtian Light, the true ſence of Juſtification by the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, was much obſcured with the reſt, and a world of humane inventions under the name of Good works, were brought in to take up the peoples minds; And the merits of man, and of the Virgin Mary, ſounded louder than the merits of Chriſt, in too many places: And the people that were ignorant of the true Juſtification, were filled with the noiſe of Pardons, Indulgences, Satisfactions, Penances, Pilgrimages, and ſuch like.

§ 11. Luther finding the Church in this dangerous and woful ſtate, where he lived, did labour to reduce mens minds and truſt, from humane fopperies and merits, and indulgences, to Chriſt, and to help them to the Knowledg of true Righteouſneſs: But according to his temper in the heat▪ of his Spirit, he ſometimes let fall ſome words which ſeemed plainly to make Chriſts own perſonal Righteouſneſs in it ſelf to be every Believers own by Imputation, and our ſins to be verily Chriſts own ſins in themſelves by Imputation: Though by many other words he ſheweth that he meant only, that our ſins were Chriſts in the effects and not in themſelves, and Chriſts perſonal Righteouſneſs ours in the effects and not in it ſelf.

§ 12. But his Book on the Galatians, and ſome other words, gave occaſion to the errours of ſome then called Antinomians, and afterward Libertines (when ſome additions were made to their errours.) Of theſe Iſlebius Agricola was the chief: Whom p. 16Luther confuted and reduced, better expounding his own words: But Iſlebius ere long turned back to the Contrary extreme of Popery, and with Sidonius and Julius Pflug, (three Popiſh Biſhops made for that purpoſe) promoted the Emperours Interim to the perſecution of the Proteſtants.

§ 13. The Proteſtant Reformers themſelves ſpake variouſly of this ſubject. Moſt of them rightly aſſerted that Chriſt's Righteouſneſs was ours by the way of Meriting our Righteouſneſs, which was therefore ſaid to be Imputed to us. Some of them follow'd Luthers firſt words, and ſaid that Chriſts ſufferings and all his perſonal Righteouſneſs was Imputed to us, ſo as to be ours in it ſelf, and when judged as if we had perſonally done what he did, and were righteous with the ſame Righteouſneſs that he was.

§ 14. Ambſdorfius, Gallus, and ſome other hot Lutherans were ſo jealous of the name of works, that they maintained that good works were not neceſſary to Salvation. (Yea as to Salvation ſome called them hurtful:) And Georgius Major a Learned ſober Divine was numbered by them among the Hereticks, for maintaining that Good works were neceſſary to Salvation; as you may ſee in the perverſe writings of Chluſseburgius and many others.

§ 15. Andreas Oſiander (otherwiſe a Learned Proteſtant) took up the opinion, that we are Juſtified by the very eſſential Righteouſneſs of God himſelf. But he had few followers.

§ 16. The Papiſts faſtening upon thoſe Divines who held Imputation of Chriſts perſonal Righteouſneſs in it ſelf in the rigid ſence, did hereupon greatly inſult againſt the Proteſtants, as if it had p. 17been their common doctrine, and it greatly ſtopt the Reformation: For many ſeeing that ſome made that a Fundamental in our difference, and articulus ſtantis & cadentis Eccleſiae, and ſeeing how eaſily it was diſproved, how fully it was againſt the Doctrine of all the ancient Church, and what intolerable Conſequences followed, did judge by that of the reſt of our Doctrine, and were ſettledly hardened againſt all.

§ 17. The Learned Divines of Germany perceiving this, fell to a freſh review of the Controverſie, and after a while abundance of very Learned Godly Doctors fell to diſtinguiſh between the Active and Paſſive Righteouſneſs of Chriſt; and not accurately diſtinguiſhing of Imputation, becauſe they perceived that Chriſt ſuffered in our ſtead, in a fuller ſenſe than he could be ſaid to be Holy in our ſtead, or fulfil the Law in our ſtead. Hereupon they principally managed the Controverſie, as about the ſort of Righteouſneſs Imputed to us: And a great number of the moſt Learned famous Godly Divines of the Reformed Churches, maintained that Chriſt's Paſſive Righteouſneſs was Imputed to us, even his whole Humiliation or Suffering, by which the pardon of all ſins of Commiſſion and Omiſſion was procured for us; but that his Active Righteouſneſs was not Imputed to us, though it profited us; but was Juſtitia Perſonae to make Chriſt a fit Sacrifice for our ſins, having none of his own, but the Suffering was his Juſtitia Meriti. His Obedience they ſaid was performed noſtro bono, non noſtro loco, for our good but not in our ſtead; but his Sufferings, both noſtro bono & loco, both for our good and in our ſtead: but neither of them ſo ſtrictly in nostrâ Perſonâ in our Perſon, as if we did it by and in Chriſt. The Writers that defended p. 18this were Cargius, and that holy man Olevian and Ʋrſine, and Paraeus, and Scultetus, and Piſcator, Alſtedius, Wendeline, Beckman, and many more. He that will ſee the ſum of their arguings may read it in Wendeline's Theolog. lib. 1. cap. 25. and in Paraeus his Miſcellanies after Ʋrſine's Corpus Theolog. After them Camero with his Learned followers took it up in France. Leg. Cameron. p. 364.390. Theſ. Sal. vol. 1. Placaei Diſp. de Juſt. § 29. & Part. 2 de Satisf. § 42. So that at that time (as Paraeus tells you) there were four opinions: ſome thought Chriſt's Paſſive Righteouſneſs only was Imputed to us; ſome alſo his Active inſtead of our Actual Obedience; ſome alſo his Habitual inſtead of our Habitual perfection; And ſome thought alſo his Divine Righteouſneſs was Imputed to us, becauſe of our Union with Chriſt, God and Man. (Imputed I ſay; for I now ſpeak not of Oſiander's opinion of Inheſion.) And Lubbertus wrote a Conciliatory Tractate favouring thoſe that were for the Paſſive part. And Forbes hath written for the Paſſive only imputed. Molinaeus caſteth away the diſtinction, Theſ. Sedan. v. 1. p. 625. § 18.

§ 18. In England moſt Divines uſed the phraſe, that we were Juſtified by the forgiveneſs of ſin and the Imputation of Chriſts Righteouſneſs, and being accepted as Righteous unto life thereon: But the ſenſe of Imputation few pretended accurately to diſcuſs. Davenant who dealt moſt elaborately in it, and maintaineth Imputation ſtiffly, in terms; yet when he telleth you what Proteſtants mean by it, ſaith, that [Poſſunt nobis imputari, non ſolum noſtrae paſſiones, actiones, qualitates, ſed etiam extrinſeca quaedam, quae nec a nobis fluunt, nec in nobis haerent: p. 19De facto autem Imputantur, quando illorum intuitus & reſpectus valent nobis ad aliquem effectum, aeque ac ſi a nobis aut in nobis eſſent. (Note, that he ſaith, but ad aliquem effectum, non ad omnem.) And he inſtanceth in one that is a ſlothful fellow himſelf, but is advanced to the Kings Favour and Nobility for ſome great Service done by his Progenitors to the Common-wealth. And in one that deſerving death is pardoned through the Interceſſion of a friend, or upon ſome ſuffering in his ſtead which the King impoſeth on his Friend. This is the Imputation which Davenant and other ſuch Proteſtants plead for; which I think is not to be denied. Were it not for lengthening the diſcourſe and wearying the Reader, I would cite many other of our greateſt Divines, who plead for the Imputation of Chriſt's Righteouſneſs, that Davenant here expoundeth himſelf.

But ſome leſs judicious grating upon a harſh and unſound ſence, Mr. Anthony Wotton a very Learned and Godly Divine of London, wrote a Latine Treatiſe de Reconciliatione, one of the Learnedſt that hath ever been written of that ſubject, in which he laboureth to diſprove the rigid Imputation of Chriſts Holineſs and Obedience to man; and ſheweth that he is Righteous to whom all ſin of Omiſſion and Commiſſion is forgiven; and confuteth theſe three Aſſertions. 1. That A Sinner is Reputed to have fulfilled the Law in and by Chriſt. 2. And being reputed to have fulfilled the Law, is taken for formally juſt as a fulfiller of it. 3. And being formally juſt as a fullfiller of the Law, Life eternal is due to him by that Covenant, that ſaith, do this and live. Vid. Part. 2. li. 1. Cap. 11. pag. 152. Cum ſequentibus. Thus and much further Mr. Wotton went to p. 20the very quick of the Controverſie, and irrefragably overthrew the rigid Imputation.

But Mr. William Bradſhaw, a Learned Godly Nonconformiſt, being grieved at the differences about the Active and Paſſive Righteouſneſs, and thinking that Mr. Wotton denied all Imputation of the Active Righteouſneſs (which he did not, but owneth it to be Imputed as a meritorious Cauſe:) Part. 2. li. 1. Cap. 13. pag. 165. Ne illud quidem negaverim, imputari nobis illius juſtitiam & obedientiam, ut ad noſtrum fructum redundet: Id unum non concedo, Legem nos in Christo & per Chriſtum ſervâſſe, ut propter eam a nobis praeſtitam vita aeterna ex faedere, Hoc fac et vives, debeatur. Mr. Bradſhaw I ſay attempted a Conciliatory middle way, which indeed is the ſame in the main with Mr. Wotton's: He honoureth the Learned Godly perſons on each ſide, but maintaineth that the Active and Paſſive Righteouſneſs are both Imputed, but not in the rigid ſence of Imputation denying both theſe Propoſitions. 1. That Chriſt by the Merits of his Paſſive Obedience only, hath freed us from the guilt of all ſin, both Actual and Original, of Omiſſion and Commiſſion. 2. That in the Imputation of Chriſts Obedience both Active and Paſſive, God doth ſo behold and conſider a ſinner in Chriſt, as if the ſinner himſelf had done and ſuffered thoſe very particulars which Chriſt did and ſuffered for him. And he wrote a ſmall book with great accurateneſs in Engliſh firſt, and Latin after, opening the nature of Juſtification, which hath been deſervedly applauded ever ſince. His boſom-Friend Mr. Tho. Gataker, (a man of rare Learning and Humility) next ſet in to defend Mr. Bradſhaw's way, and wrote in Latin Animadverſions on Lucius (who oppoſed p. 21Piſcator, and erred on one ſide for rigid Imputation) and on Piſcator who on the other ſide was for Juſtification by the Paſſive Righteouſneſs only; and other things he wrote with great Learning and Judgment in that cauſe.

About that time the Doctrine of perſonal Imputation in the rigid ſence began to be fully improved in England, by the Sect of the Antinomians (trulyer called Libertines) of whom Dr. Criſpe was the moſt eminent Ring-leader, whoſe books took wonderfully with ignorant Profeſſors under the pretence of extolling Chriſt and free-Grace. After him roſe Mr. Randal, and Mr. John Simpſon, and then Mr. Town, and at laſt in the Armies of the Parliament, Saltmarſh, and ſo many more, as that it ſeemed to be likely to have carried moſt of the Profeſſors in the Army, and abundance in the City and Country that way: But that ſuddenly (one Novelty being ſet up againſt another) the opinions called Arminianiſm roſe up againſt it, and gave it a check and carryed many in the Army and City the clean contrary way: And theſe two Parties divided a great part of the raw injudicious ſort of the profeſſors between them, which uſually are the greateſt part: but eſpecially in the Army which was like to become a Law and example to others.

Before this John Goodwin (not yet turned Arminian) preached and wrote with great diligence about Juſtification againſt the rigid ſence of Imputation, who being anſwered by Mr. Walker, and Mr. Robourough, with far inferiour ſtrength, his book had the greater ſucceſs for ſuch anſwerers.

The Antinomians then ſwarming in London, Mr. Anthony Burges, a very worthy Divine was employed p. 22to Preach and Print againſt them; which he did in ſeveral books: but had he been acquainted with the men as I was, he would have found more need to have vindicated the Goſpel againſt them than the Law.

Being daily converſant my ſelf with the Antinomian and Arminian Souldiers, and hearing their daily conteſts, I thought it pitty that nothing but one extreme ſhould be uſed to beat down that other, and I found the Antinomian party far the ſtronger, higher, and more fierce, and working towards greater changes and ſubverſions; And I found that they were juſt falling in with Saltmarſh, that Chriſt hath repented and believed for us, and that we muſt no more queſtion our Faith and Repentance, than Chriſt. This awakened me better to ſtudy theſe points; And being young, and not furniſhed with ſufficient reading of the Controverſie, and alſo being where were no libraries, I was put to ſtudy only the naked matter in it ſelf. Whereupon I ſhortly wrote a ſmall book called Aphoriſms of Juſtification, &c. Which contained that Doctrine in ſubſtance which I judg ſound; but being the firſt that I wrote, it had ſeveral expreſſions in it which needed correction; which made me ſuſpend or retract it till I had time to reform them. Mens judgments of it were various, ſome for it and ſome againſt it: I had before been a great eſteemer of two books of one name, Vindiciae Gratiae, Mr. Pembles and Dr. Twiſſes, above moſt other books. And from them I had taken in the opinion of a double Juſtification, one in foro Dei as an Immanent eternal Act of God, and another in foro Conſcientiae, the Knowledg of that; and I knew no other: But now I ſaw, that neither of p. 23thoſe was the Juſtification which the Scripture ſpake of. But ſome half-Antinomians which were for the Juſtification before Faith, which I wrote againſt, were moſt angry with my book. And Mr. Crandon wrote againſt it, which I anſwered in an Apologie, and fullyer wrote my judgment in my Confeſſion; and yet more fully in ſome Diſputations of Juſtification againſt Mr. Burges, who had in a book of Juſtification made ſome exceptions; and pag. 346. had defended that [As in Chriſt's ſuffering we were looked upon by God as ſuffering in him; ſo by Chriſts obeying of the Law, we were beheld as fulfilling the Law in him.] To thoſe Diſputations I never had any anſwer. And ſin… then in my Life of Faith, I have opened the Libertine errours about Juſtification, and ſtated the ſence of Imputation.

Divers writers were then employed on theſe ſubjects: Mr. Eyers for Juſtification before Faith (that is, of elect Infidels) and Mr. Benjamin Woodbridg, Mr. Tho. Warren againſt it. Mr. Hotchkis wrote a conſiderable Book of Forgiveneſs of ſin, defending the ſounder way: Mr. George Hopkins, wrote to prove that Juſtification and Sanctification are equally carryed on together: Mr. Warton, Mr. Graile, Mr. Jeſſop, (clearing the ſence of Dr. Twiſſe,) and many others wrote againſt Antinomianiſm. But no man more clearly opened the whole doctrine of Juſtification, than Learned and Pious Mr. Gibbons Miniſter at Black-Fryers, in a Sermon Printed in the Lectures at St. Giles in the Fields. By ſuch endeavours the before-prevailing Antinomianiſm was ſuddenly and ſomewhat marvelouſly ſuppreſſed, ſo that there was no great noiſe made by it.

About Imputation that which I aſſerted was againſt p. 24the two fore-deſcribed extremes; in ſhort, That we are Juſtified by Chriſt's whole Righteouſneſs, Paſſive, Active, and Habitual, yea the Divine ſo far included as by Ʋnion advancing the reſt to a valuable ſufficiency: That the Paſſive, that is, Chriſt's whole Humiliation is ſatisfactory firſt, and ſo meritorious, and the Active and Habitual meritorious primarily. That as God the Father did appoint to Chriſt as Mediator his Duty for our Redemption by a Law or Covenant, ſo Chriſt's whole fulfilling that Law, or performance of his Covenant-Conditions as ſuch (by Habitual and Actual perfection, and by Suffering) made up one Meritorious Cauſe of our Juſtification, not diſtinguiſhing with Mr. Gataker of the pure moral, and the ſervile part of Chriſt's Obedience, ſave only as one is more a part of Humiliation than the other, but in point of Merit taking in all: That as Chriſt ſuffered in our ſtead that we might not ſuffer, and obeyed in our nature, that perfection of Obedience might not be neceſſary to our Juſtification, and this in the perſon of a Mediator and Sponſor for us ſinners, but not ſo in our Perſons, as that we truely in a moral or civil ſence, did all this in and by him; Even ſo God reputeth the thing to be as it is, and ſo far Imputeth Chriſt's Righteouſneſs and Merits and Satisfaction to us, as that it is Reputed by him the true Meritorious Cauſe of our Juſtification; and that for it God maketh a Covenant of Grace, in which he freely giveth Chriſt, Pardon and Life to all that accept the Gift as it is; ſo that the Accepters are by this Covenant or Gift as ſurely juſtified and ſaved by Chriſt's Righteouſneſs as if they had p. 25Obeyed and Satisfied themſelves. Not that Chriſt meriteth that we ſhall have Grace to fulfil the Law our ſelves and ſtand before God in a Righteouſneſs of our own, which will anſwer the Law of works and juſtifie us: But that the Conditions of the Gift in the Covenant of Grace being performed by every penitent Believer, that Covenant doth pardon all their ſins (as Gods Inſtrument) and giveth them a Right to Life eternal, for Chriſts Merits.

This is the ſence of Imputation which I and others aſſerted as the true healing middle way. And as bad as they are, among the moſt Learned Papiſts, Cornelius a Lapide is cited by Mr. Wotton, Vaſquez by Davenant, Suarez by Mr. Burges, as ſpeaking for ſome ſuch Imputation, and Merit: Grotius de Satisf. is clear for it.

But the Brethren called Congregational or Independant in their Meeting at the Savoy. Oct. 12. 1658. publiſhing a Declaration of their Faith, Cap. 11. have theſe words [Thoſe whom God effectually calleth, he alſo freely juſtifieth; not by infuſing Righteouſneſs into them, but by pardoning their Sins, and by accounting and accepting their perſons as Righteous, not for any thing wrought in them, or done by them, but for Chriſts ſake alone: not by imputing Faith it ſelf, the act of believing, or any other evangelical Obedience to them, as their Righteouſness; but by Imputing Chriſts Active Obedience to the whole Law, and Paſſive Obedience in his death, for their whole and ſole Righteouſneſs; they receiving and reſting on him and his Righteouſneſs by Faith.]

Upon the publication of this it was variouſly ſpoken of: ſome thought that it gave the Papiſts p. 26ſo great a ſcandal, and advantage to reproach the Proteſtants as denying all inherent Righteouſneſs, that it was neceſſary that we ſhould diſclaim it: Others ſaid that it was not their meaning to deny Inherent Righteouſneſs, though their words ſo ſpake, but only that we are not juſtified by it: Many ſaid that it was not the work of all of that party, but of ſome few that had an inclination to ſome of the Antinomian principles, out of a miſtaken zeal of free Grace; and that it is well known that they differ from us, and therefore it cannot be imputed to us, and that it is beſt make no ſtir about it, leſt it irritate them to make the matter worſe by a Defence, & give the Papiſts too ſoon notice of it. And I ſpake with one Godly Miniſter that was of their Aſſembly, who told me, that they did not ſubſcribe it, and that they meant but to deny Juſtification by inherent Righteouſneſs. And though ſuch men in the Articles of their declared Faith, no doubt can ſpeak intelligibly and aptly, and are to be underſtood as they ſpeak according to the common uſe of the words; yet even able-men ſometimes may be in this excepted, when eager engagement in an opinion and parties, carryeth them too precipitantly, and maketh them forget ſomething, that ſhould be remembred. The Sentences here which we excepted againſt are theſe two. But the firſt was not much offenſive becauſe their meaning was right; And the ſame words are in the Aſſemblies Confeſſion, though they might better have been left out.

Rom. 4.3.

What ſaith the Scripture? [1 Not by imputing Faith it ſelf, part of Believing, or any other Evangelical Obedience to them as their Righteouſneſs]Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for Righteouſneſs.

Ver. 5. To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that Juſtifyeth the Ʋngodly, his Faith is counted for Righteouſneſs.

Ver. 9. For we ſay that Faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteouſneſs: How was it then reckoned?

Ver. 11. And he received the ſign of Circumciſion, a ſeal of the righteouſneſs of the Faith, which he had yet being uncircumciſed, that he might be the Father of all them that believe,—that Righteouſneſs might be imputed to them alſo. — Ver. 13. Through the Righteouſneſs of Faith. — Ver. 16. Therefore it is of Faith that it might be by Grace. — vid. Ver. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24. He was ſtrong in Faith, fully perſwaded that what he had promiſed, he was able alſo to perform; and therefore it was Imputed to him for Righteouſneſs. Now it was not written for his ſake alone that it was imputed to him, but for us alſo, to whom it ſhall be imputed, if we (or, who) believe on him that raiſed up Jeſus our Lord from the dead.

Gen. 15.5, 6.

Tell the Stars — ſo ſhall thy ſeed be: And he believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for Righteouſneſs, Jam. 2.21, 22, 23, 24. Was not Abraham our Father juſtified, by Works?— And the Scripture was fulfilled which ſaith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed to him for Righteouſneſs.

p. 28Luk. 19.17.

Well done thou good Servant, Becauſe thou haſt been Faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten Cities.

Mat. 25.34, 35, 40,

Come ye bleſſed. — For I was hungry and ye gave me Meat.

Gen. 22.16, 17,

By my ſelf I have ſworn. — Becauſe thou haſt done this thing. —

Joh. 16.27.

For the Father himſelf loveth you, becauſe you have loved me and have believed that I came out from God. Many ſuch paſſages are in Scripture.

Our opinion is, 1. That it is better to juſtifie and expound the Scripture, than flatly to deny it: If Scripture ſo oft ſay, that Faith is reckoned or Imputed for Righteouſneſs, it becometh not Chriſtians, to ſay, It is not: But to ſhew in what ſence it is, and in what it is not. For if it be ſo Imputed in no ſence, the Scripture is made falſe: If in any ſence▪ it ſhould not be univerſally denied but with diſtinction.

2. We hold, that in Juſtification there is conſiderable, 1. The Purchaſing and Meritorious Cauſe of Juſtification freely given in the new Covenant. This is only Chriſt's Sufferings and Righteouſneſs, and ſo it is Reputed of God, and Imputed to us. 2. The Order of Donation, which is, On Condion of Acceptance; And ſo 3. The Condition of our Title to the free Gift by this Covenant; And that is, Our Faith, or Acceptance of the Gift according to its nature and uſe. And thus God Reputeth Faith, and Imputeth it to us, requiring but this Condition of us (which alſo he worketh in us) by the Covenant of Grace; whereas perfect Obedience p. 29was required of us, by the Law of Innocency.

If we err in this explication, it had been better to confute▪ us than deny God's Word.

Scriptures beſides the former. Declaration.

1 Joh. 2.29.

Every one which doth Righteouſneſs is born of God.[2 For their ſole Righteouſneſs. — & 3.7, 10. He that doth Righteouſneſs is Righteous, even as he is Righteous. — Whoſoever doth not righteouſneſs is not of God.

2 Tim. 4.8.

He hath laid up for us a Crown of Righteouſneſs.

Heb. 11.23.

Through Faith they wrought Righteouſneſs. — Heb. 12. The peaceable fruit of Righteouſneſs. — Jam. 3.18. The fruit of Righteouſneſs is ſown in Peace. — 1 Pet. 2.24. That we being dead to ſin, ſhould live unto righteouſneſs, Mat 5.20. Except your Righteouſneſs exceed the Righteouſneſs of the Scribes and Phariſees, &c.—Luk. 1.71. In Holineſs and Righteouſneſs before him all the days of our Life. — Act. 10.35. He that feareth God, and worketh Righteouſneſs is accepted of him, — Rom. 6.13, 16, 18, 19, 20. Whether of ſin unto death, or of Obedience unto Righteouſneſs. — 1 Cor. 15.34. Awake to Righteouſneſs and ſin not. — Eph. 5.9. The fruit of the Spirit is in all Goodneſs, and Righteouſneſs. — Dan. 12.3. They ſhall turn many to Righteouſneſs. —Dan. 4.27. Break off thy ſins by Righteouſneſs. — Eph. 4.24. The new-man which after God is created in Righteouſneſs. — Gen. 7.1. Thee have I ſeen Righteous before me. — Gen. 18.23, 24, 25, 26. Far be it from thee, to deſtroy the Righteous with the Wicked. — Prov. 24.24. He p. 30that ſaith to the Wicked thou art Righteous, him ſhall the people Curſe, Nations ſhall abhor him. — Iſa. 3.10. Say to the Righteous, it ſhall be well with him, Iſa. 5.23. That take away the Righteouſneſs from the Righteous. — Mat. 25.37, 46. Then ſhall the Righteous anſwer. — The Righteous into life eternal. — Luk. 1.6. They were both Righteous before God. — Heb. 11.4, 7. By Faith Abel offered to God a more excellent Sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witneſs that he was righteous, God teſtifying of his Gifts. By Faith Noah being warned of God of things not ſeen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an Ark, — by which he became heir of the Righteouſneſs by Faith, 1 Pet. 4.18. If the Righteous be ſcarcely ſaved. — Math. 10.41. He that receiveth a Righteous man in the name of a Righteous man, ſhall have a Righteous mans reward. — 1 Tim. 1.9. The Law is not made for a Righteous man, but for— Many ſcore of texts more mention a Righteouſneſs diſtinct from that of Chriſt imputed to us.

Judg now, Whether he that believeth God ſhould believe that he Imputeth Chriſts Obedience and Suffering to us, [for our Sole Righteouſneſs.]

That which is not our ſole Righteouſneſs, is not ſo Reputed by God nor Imputed: But Chriſts Obedience and Suffering is not our ſole Righteouſneſs. — See Davenant's many arguments to prove that we have an Inherent Righteouſneſs.

Obj. But, they mean, [our Sole Righteouſneſs by which we are Juſtified.]

Anſw. 1. We can tell no mans meaning but by his words, eſpecially not contrary to them, eſpecially in an accurate Declaration of Faith. 2. Suppoſe it had been ſo ſaid, we maintain on the contrary, 1. p. 31That we are Juſtified by more ſorts of Righteouſneſs than one, in ſeveral reſpects. We are juſtified only by Chriſts Righteouſneſs as the Purchaſing and Meritorious Cauſe of our Juſtification freely given by that new Covenant. We are Juſtified by the Righteouſneſs of God the Father, as performing his Covenant with Chriſt and us, (efficiently). We are juſtified efficiently by the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt as our Judg, paſſing a juſt ſentence according to his Covenant: Theſe laſt are neither Ours nor Imputed to us: But we are juſtified alſo againſt the Accuſation, of being finally Impenitent Unbelievers or unholy, by the perſonal particular Righteouſneſs of our own Repentance, Faith and Holineſs.

For 2. We ſay, that there is an univerſal Juſtification or Righteouſneſs, and there is a particular one. And this particular one may be the Condition and Evidence of our Title to all the reſt. And this is our caſe. The Day of Judgment is not to try and Judg Chriſt, or his Merits, but us: He will judg us himſelf by his new Law or Covenant, the ſum of which is, [Except ye Repent, ye ſhall all periſh: and, He that believeth, ſhall be ſaved: and he that believeth not, ſhall be condemned. If we be not accuſed of Impenitence or Ʋnbelief, but only of not-fulfilling the Law of Innocency, that will ſuppoſe that we are to be tryed only by that Law, which is not true: And then we refer the Accuſer only to Chriſt's Righteouſneſs, and to the Pardoning Law of Grace, and to nothing in our ſelves to anſwer that charge; And ſo it would be Chriſt's part only that would be judged. But Matth. 25. and all the Scripture aſſureth us of the contrary, that it's Our part that it is to be tryed and judged, and that we p. 32ſhall be all judged according to what we have done. And no man is in danger there of any other accuſation, but that he did not truly Repent and Believe, and live a holy life to Chriſt: And ſhall the Penitent Believer ſay, I did never Repent and Believe, but Chriſt did it for me; and ſo uſe two Lyes, one of Chriſt, and another of himſelf, that he may be juſtified? Or ſhall the Ʋnholy, Impenitent Infidel ſay, It's true I was never a Penitent Believer, or holy, but Chriſt was for me, or Chriſts Righteouſneſs is my ſole Righteouſneſs? that is a faſhood; For Chriſts Righteouſneſs is none of his. So that there is a particular perſonal Righteouſneſs, conſiſting in Faith and Repentance, which by way of Condition and Evidence of our title to Chriſt and his Gift of Pardon and Life, is of abſolute neceſſity in our Juſtification. Therefore Imputed Righteouſneſs is not the ſole Righteouſneſs which muſt juſtifie us.

I cited abundance of plain Texts to this purpoſe in my Confeſſion, pag. 57. &c. Of which book I add, that when it was in the preſs, I procured thoſe three perſons whom I moſt highly valued for judgment, Mr. Gataker, (whoſe laſt work it was in this World) Mr. Vines, and laſtly Arch-Biſhop Ʋſher to read it over, except the Epiſtles (Mr. Gataker read only to pag. 163.) and no one of them adviſed me to alter one word, nor ſignified their diſſent to any word of it. But I have been long on this: to proceed in the Hiſtory. —

The ſame year that I wrote that book, that moſt Judicious excellent man Joſhua Placaeus of Saumours in France, was exerciſed in a Controverſie conjunct with this; How far Adams ſin is imputed to us. And to ſpeak truth, at firſt in the Theſes Salmurienſ. p. 33Vol. 1. he ſeemed plainly to diſpute againſt the Imputation of Adam's actual ſin, and his arguments I elſewhere anſwer.) And Andr. Rivet wrote a Collection of the Judgment of all ſorts of Divines for the contrary. But after he vindicated himſelf, & ſhewed that his Doctrine was, that Adam's fact is not immediately imputed to each of us, as if our perſons as perſons had been all fully repreſented in Adam's perſon (by an arbitrary Law or Will of God) or reputed ſo to be: But that our Perſons being Virtually or Seminally in him, we derive from him firſt our Perſons, and in them a corrupted nature, and that nature corrupted and juſtly deſerted by the Spirit of God, becauſe it is derived from Adam that ſo ſinned: And ſo that Adams fact is imputed to us mediately, mediante natura & Corruptione, but not primarily and immediately.

This doctrine of the Good and Judicious man was thought too new to eſcape ſharp cenſures, ſo that a rumour was ſpread abroad that he denied all Imputation of Adams fact, and placed original guilt only in the Guilt of Coruption, for which indeed he gave occaſion. A Synod being called at Charenton, this opinion without naming any Author was condemned; & all Miniſters required to ſubſcribe it: Amyraldus being of Placeus mind, in a ſpeech of two hours vindicated his opinion. Placeus knowing that the Decree did not touch him, took no notice of it. But Geriſſolius of Montauban wrote againſt him, pretending him condemned by the Decree, which Drelincourt one that drew it up, denied, profeſſing himſelf of Placeus his judgment. and Rivet alſo, Mareſius, Carol. Daubuz and others, miſunderſtanding him wrote againſt him.

p. 34For my part I confeſs that I am not ſatisfied in his diſtinction of Mediate and Immediate Imputation: I ſee not, but our Perſons as derived from Adam, being ſuppoſed to be in Being, we are at once Reputed to be ſuch as Virtually ſinned in him, and ſuch as are deprived of God's Image. And if either muſt be put firſt, me-thinks it ſhould rather be the former, we being therefore deprived of God's Immage (not by God, but by Adam) becauſe he ſinned it away from himſelf. It ſatisfieth me much more, to diſtinguiſh of our Being and ſo ſinning in Adam Perſonally and Seminally, or Virtually: we were not Perſons in Adam when he ſinned; therefore we did not ſo ſin in him: And it is a fiction added to God's Word, to ſay that God (becauſe he would do it) reputed us to be what we were not. But we were Seminally in Adam as in Cauſâ naturali, who was to produce us out of his very eſſence: And therefore that kind of being which we had in him, could not be innocent when he was guilty: And when we had our Natures and Perſons from him, we are juſtly reputed to be as we are, the offſpring of one that actually ſinned: And ſo when our Exiſtence and Perſonality maketh us capable Subjects, we are guilty Perſons of his ſin; though not with ſo plenary a ſort of Guilt as he.

And I fear not to ſay, that as I lay the ground of this Imputation in Nature it ſelf, ſo I doubt not but I have elſewhere proved that there is more participation of all Children in the guilt of their parents ſins by nature, than is ſufficiently acknowledged or lamented by moſt, though Scripture abound with the proof of it: And that the overlooking it, and laying all upon God's arbitrary Covenant p. 35and Imputation, is the great temptation to Pel…gians to deny Original ſin: And that our miſery no more increaſeth by it, is, becauſe we are now under a Covenant that doth not ſo charge all culpability on mankind, as the Law of Innocency did alone. And there is ſomething of Pardon in the Caſe. And the Engliſh Litany, (after Ezra, Daniel and others) well prayeth, Remember not, Lord, our offences, nor the offences of our Forefathers, &c.

This ſame Placeus in Theſ. Salmurienſ. Vol. 1. hath opened the doctrine of Juſtification ſo fully, that I think that one Diſputation might ſpare ſome the reading of many contentious Volumes.

The rigid aſſertors of Imputation proved ſuch a ſtumbling-block to many, that they run into the other extreme, and not only denyed it, but vehemently loaded it with the Charges of over-throwing all Godlineſs and Obedience. Of theſe Parker (as is ſaid) with ſome others wrote againſt it in an anſwer to the Aſſemblies Confeſſion: Dr. Gell often reproacheth it in a large Book in Folio. And laſtly and moſt ſharply and confidently Herbert Thorndike, (to mention no more.)

The Hiſtory of this Controverſie of Imputation, I conclude, though diſorderly, with the ſenſe of all the Chriſtian Churches, in the Creeds and Harmony of Confeſſions, becauſe they were too long to be fitly inſerted by the way.

p. 36The Conſent of Chriſtians, and ſpecially Proteſtants, about the Imputation of Chriſts Righteouſneſs in Juſtification; How far and in what ſence it is Imputed.

I. SEeing Baptiſm is our viſible initiation into Chriſtianity, we muſt there begin; and ſee what of this is there contained. Mat. 28.19. Baptizing them into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoſt, Mar. 16.16. He that believeth, and is baptized, ſhall be ſaved, Act. 2.38. Repent, and be Baptized every one of you in the name of Jeſus Chriſt for the Remiſſion of ſins, and ye ſhall receive the gift of the Holy Ghoſt. See Acts 8.36, 37, 38. The Eunuch's Faith and Baptiſm. Act. 22.16. Ariſe, and be baptized, and waſh away thy ſins, having called on the name of the Lord. Rom. 6.3. So many as were baptized into Jeſus Chriſt, were baptized into his death. Gal. 3.27. As many as have been baptized into Chriſt, have put on Chriſt. 1. Pet. 3.21. The like whereunto, Baptiſm doth alſo now ſave us, (not the putting away the filth of the fleſh, but the anſwer of a good Conſcience towards God) by the Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt. Rom. 4.24, 25. But for us alſo to whom it ſhall be imputed, if we believe on him that raiſed up Jeſus our Lord from the dead: who was delivered for our offences, and was raiſed again for our Juſtification. [Quaer. How far Chriſt's Reſurrection is imputed to us.]

II. The Creed, called by the Apoſtles, hath but [I believe — the forgiveness of ſins.]

III. The Nicene and Conſtantinopolitane Creed, p. 37I acknowledg one Baptiſm for the Remiſſion of ſins; (Chriſt's Death, Burial, and Reſurrection premiſed.)

IV. Athanaſius's Creed [Who ſuffered for our Salvation, deſcended into Hell, roſe again the third day. — At whoſe coming all men ſhall riſe again with their bodies, and ſhall give account for their own works; and they that have done good, ſhall go into everlaſting life, and they that have done evil into everlaſting Fire.] (Remiſſion is contained in Salvation.)

V. The Fathers ſence I know not where the Reader can ſo eaſily and ſurely gather, without reading them all, as in Laurentius his Collection de Juſtif. after the Corpus Confeſſionum; and that to the beſt advantage of the Proteſtant Cauſe. They that will ſee their ſence of ſo much as they accounted neceſſary to Salvation, may beſt find it in their Treatiſes of Baptiſm, and Catechizings of the Catechumens; Though they ſay leſs about our Controverſie than I could wiſh they had. I will have no other Religion than they had. The Creed of Damaſus in Hieron. op. Tom. 2. hath but (In his Death and Blood we believe that we are cleanſed — and have hope that we ſhall obtain the reward of good merit, (meaning our own); which the Helvetians own in the end of their Confeſſion.

VI. The Auguſtane Confeſſion, Art. 3, 4. Chriſt died — that he might reconcile the Father to us, and be a ſacrifice, not only for original ſin, but alſo for all the actual ſins of men. — And that we may obtain theſe benefits of Chriſt, that is, Remiſſion of ſins, juſtification and life eternal, Chriſt gave us the Goſpel in which theſe benefits are propounded. — To preach p. 38Repentance in his Name, and Remiſſion of ſins among all Nations. For when men propagated in the natural manner have ſin, and cannot truly ſatisfie Gods Law, the Goſpel reproveth ſin, and ſheweth us Chriſt the Mediator, and ſo teacheth us about Pardon of ſins—That freely for Chriſt's ſake are given us, Remiſſion of ſins, & Juſtification by Faith, by which we muſt confeſs that theſe are given us for Chriſt, who was made a Sacrifice for us, and appeaſed the Father. Though the Goſpel require Penitence; yet that pardon of ſin may be ſure, it teacheth us that it is freely given us; that is, that it dependeth not on the Condition of our worthyneſs, nor is given for any precedent works, or worthyneſs of following works. — For Conſcience in true fears findeth no work which it can oppoſe to the Wrath of God; and Chriſt is propoſed and given us, to be a propitiator. This honour of Chriſt muſt not be transferred to our works. Therefore Paul ſaith, ye are ſaved freely, (or of Grace,) And it is of grace, that the promiſe might be ſure; that is, Pardon will be ſure; when we know that it dependeth not on the Condition of our worthineſs, but is given for Chriſt. — In the Creed this Article, [I believe the Forgiveneſs of ſins,] is added to the hiſtory: And the reſt of the hiſtory of Chriſt muſt be referred to this Article: For this benefit is the end of the hiſtory, Chriſt therefore ſuffered and roſe again, that for him might be given us Remiſſion of ſins, and life everlaſting.

Art. 6. When we are Reconciled by Faith, there muſt needs follow the Righteouſneſs of good works. — But becauſe the infirmity of mans nature is ſo great, that no man can ſatisfie the Law, it is neceſſary to teach men, not only that they muſt obey the Law, but alſo how this Obedience pleaſeth, leſt Conſciences fall p. 39into deſperation, when they underſtand that they ſatisfie not the Law. This Obedience then pleaſeth, not becauſe it ſatisfieth the Law, but becauſe the perſon is in Chriſt, reconciled by Faith, and believeth that the relicts of his Sin are pardoned. We muſt ever hold that we obtain remiſſion of ſins, and the perſon is pronounced Righteous, that is, is accepted freely for Chriſt, by Faith: And afterward that Obedience to the Law pleaſeth, and is reputed a certain Righteouſneſs, and meriteth rewards.] Thus the firſt Proteſtants.

VII. The 11th Article of the Church of England (to which we all offer to ſubſcribe) is [Of the Juſtification of Man. We are accounted Righteous before God, only for the Merit of our Lord and Saviour Jeſus Chriſt by Faith; and not for our own works or deſervings. Wherefore that we are juſtified by Faith only, is a moſt wholſome doctrine, and very full of Comfort, as more largely is expreſſed in the Homily of Juſtification.]

The ſaid Homilies (of Salvation and Faith) ſay over and over the ſame thing. As pag. 14. [Three things go together in our Juſtification: On Gods part his great Mercy and Grace, on Chriſts part, Juſtice▪ that is the Satisfaction of Gods Juſtice, or the Price of our Redemption, by the offering of his body, and ſhedding of his blood, with fulfilling of the Law perfectly and throughly; And on our part true and lively Faith in the Merits of Jeſus Chriſt: which yet is not ours, but by Gods working in us.

And pag. [A lively Faith is not only the common belief of the Articles of our Faith, but alſo a true truſt and confidence of the mercy of God through our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and a ſteadfaſt hope of all good things to be received at Gods hand; and that although we through p. 40infirmity or temptation — do fall from him by ſin, yet if we return again to him by true repentance, that he will forgive and forget our offences, for his Sons ſake our Saviour Jeſus Chriſt, and will make us inheritors with him of his everlaſting Kingdom — Pag. 23. For the very ſure and lively Chriſtian Faith, is, to have an earneſt truſt and confidence in God, that he doth regard us, and is careful over us, as the Father is over the Child whom he doth love; and that he will be merciful unto us, for his only Sons ſake; and that we have our Saviour Chriſt our perpetual Advocate and Prince, in whoſe only merits, oblation and ſuffering, we do truſt that our offences be continually waſhed and purged, whenſoever we repenting truely do return to him with our whole heart, ſteadfaſtly determining with our ſelves, through his grace to obey and ſerve him, in keeping his Commandments, &c.] So alſo the Apology. This is our doctrine of Imputation.

VIII. The Saxon Confeſſion oft inſiſteth on the free Pardon of ſin, not merited by us, but by Chriſt. And expoundeth Juſtification to be [Of unjuſt, that is, Guilty and diſobedient, and not having Chriſt: to be made Juſt, that is, To be Abſolved from Guilt for the Son of God, and an apprehender by Faith of Chriſt himſelf, who is our Righteouſneſs; (as Jeremiah and Paul ſay) becauſe by his Merit we have forgiveneſs, and God imputeth righteouſneſs to us, and for him, reputeth us juſt, and by giving us his Spirit quickeneth and regenerateth us. — By being Juſtified by Faith alone we mean, that freely for our Mediator alone, not for our Contrition, or other Merits; the pardon of ſin and reconciliation is given us. — And before, It is certain, when the mind is raiſed by this Faith, that the pardon of ſin, Reconciliation and Imputation of Righteouſneſs, p. 41are given for the Merit of Chriſt himſelf — And after [By Faith is meant Affiance, reſting in the Son of God the Propitiator, for whom we are received and pleaſe (God) and not for our virtues and fulfilling of the Law.

IX. The Wittenberge Confeſſion, (In Corp. Conf. pag. 104) A man is made Accepted of God, and Reputed juſt before him, for the Son of God our Lord Jeſus Chriſt alone, by Faith. And at the Judgment of God we muſt not truſt to the Merit of any of the Virtues which we have, but to the ſole Merit of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, which is made ours by Faith. And becauſe at the bar of God, where the caſe of true eternal Righteouſneſs and Salvation will be pleaded, there is no place for mans Merits, but only for God's Mercy, and the Merits of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, whom we receive by Faith: therefore we think our Anceſtors ſaid rightly, that we are juſtified before God by Faith only.

X. The Bohemian Confeſſion, making Juſtification the principal Article, goeth the ſame way. [Pag. 183, 184. By Chriſt men are Juſtified, obtain Salvation and Remiſſion of ſin, freely by Faith in Chriſt, through mercy, without any Work and Merit of man. And his death and blood alone is ſufficient, to aboliſh & expiate all the ſins of all men. All muſt come to Chriſt for pardon and Remiſſion of Sin, Salvation and every thing. All our truſt and hope is to be faſtened on him alone. Through him only and his merits God is appeaſ'd and propitious; Loveth us, and giveth us Life eternal.

XI. The Palatinate Confeſſion ib. pag. 149. [I believe that God the Father for the moſt full Satisfaction of Chriſt, doth never remember any of my ſins, and that pravity which I muſt ſtrive againſt while I live, but contrarily will rather of grace give me the righteouſneſs p. 42of Chriſt, ſo that I have no need to fear the judgment of God. — And pag. 155. If he merited, and obtained Remiſſion of all our ſins, by the only and bitter paſſion, and death of the Croſs, ſo be it we embracing it by true Faith, as the ſatisfaction for our ſins, apply it to our ſelves. —] I find no more of this.

XII. The Polonian Churches of Lutherans and Bohemians agreed in the Auguſtane and Bohemian Confeſſion before recited.

XIII. The Helvetian Confeſſion, [To Juſtifie ſignifieth to the Apoſtle in the diſpute of Juſtification, To Remit ſins, to Abſolve from the fault and puniſhment, to Receive into favour, and to Pronounce juſt — For Chriſt took on himſelf, and took away the ſins of the World, and ſatisfied Gods Juſtice. God therefore for the ſake of Chriſt alone, ſuffering and raiſed again, is propitious to our ſins▪ and imputeth them not to us, but imputeth the righteouſneſs of Chriſt for ours; ſo that now we are not only cleanſed and purged from ſins, or Holy, but alſo endowed with the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, and ſo abſolved from ſins, Death and Condemnation, and are righteous and heirs of life eternal. Speaking properly, God only juſtifieth us, and juſtifieth only for Chriſt, not imputing to us ſins, but imputing to us his Righteouſneſs.] This Confeſſion ſpeaketh in terms neereſt the oppoſed opinion: But indeed ſaith no more than we all ſay; Chriſts Righteouſneſs being given and imputed to us as the Meritorious Cauſe of our pardon and right to life.

XIV. The Baſil Confeſſion, Art. 9. [We confeſs Remiſſion of ſins by Faith in Jeſus Chriſt crucified. And though this Faith work continually by Love, yet Righteouſneſs and Satisfaction for our Sins, we do not attribute to works, which are fruits of Faith; but only p. 43to true affiance & faith in the blood ſhed of the Lamb of God. We ingenuouſly profeſs, that in Chriſt, who is our Righteouſneſs, Holineſs, Redemption, Way, Truth, Wiſdom, Life, all things are freely given us. The works therefore of the faithful are done, not that they may ſatisfie for their ſins, but only that by them, they may declare that they are thankful to God for ſo great benefits given us in Chriſt.

XV. The Argentine Confeſſion of the four Cities, Cap. 3. ib. pag. 179. hath but this hereof: When heretofore they delivered, that a mans own proper Works are required to his Juſtification, we teach that this is to be acknowledged wholly received of God's benevolence and Chriſt's Merit, and perceived only by Faith. C. 4. We are ſure that no man can be made Righteous or ſaved, unleſs he love God above all, and moſt ſtudiouſly imitate him. We can no otherwiſe be Juſtified, that is, become both Righteous and Saved (for our Righteouſneſs is our very Salvation) than if we being firſt indued with Faith, by which believing the Goſpel, and perſwaded that God hath adopted us as Sons, and will for ever give us his fatherly benevolence, we wholly depend on his beck (or will.)

XVI. The Synod of Dort, mentioneth only Chriſts death for the pardon of ſin and Juſtification. The Belgick Confeſſion § 22. having mentioned Chriſt and his merits made ours, § 23. addeth, [We believe that our bleſſedneſs conſiſteth in Remiſſion of our ſins for Jeſus Chriſt; and that our Righteouſneſs before God is therein contained, as David and Paul teach; We are juſtified freely, or by Grace, through the Redemption that is in Chriſt Jeſus. We hold this Foundation firm, and give all the Glory to God—preſuming nothing of our ſelves, and our merits, p. 44but we reſt on the ſole Obedience of a Crucified Chriſt; which is ours when we believe in him.] Here you ſee in what ſence they hold that Chriſts merits are ours; Not to juſtifie us by the Law, that ſaith, (Obey perfectly and Live) but as the merit of our pardon, which they here take for their whole Righteouſneſs.

XVII. The Scottiſh Confeſſion, Corp. Conf. pag. 125. hath but [that true Believers receive in this life Remiſſion of Sins, and that by Faith alone in Chriſts blood: So that though ſin remain — yet it is not Imputed to us, but is remitted, and covered by Chriſts Righteouſneſs.] This is plain and paſt all queſtion.

XVIII. The French Confeſſion is more plain, § 18. ib. pag. 81. [We believe that our whole Righteouſneſs lyeth in the pardon of our ſins; which is alſo as David witneſſeth our only bleſſedneſs. Therefore all other reaſons by which men think to be juſtified before God, we plainly reject; and all opinion of Merit being caſt away; we reſt only in the Obedience of Chriſt, which is Imputed to us, both that all our ſins may be covered, and that we may get Grace before God.] So that Imputation of Obedience, they think is but for pardon of ſin, and acceptance.

Concerning Proteſtants Judgment of Imputation, it is further to be noted; 1. That they are not agreed whether Imputation of Chriſt's perfect Holineſs and Obedience, be before or after the Imputation of his Paſſion in order of nature. Some think that our ſins are firſt in order of nature done away by the Imputation of his ſufferings, that we may be free from puniſhment; and next, that his perfection is Imputed to us, to merit the Reward of life eternal: But the moſt learned Confuters of the Papiſts p. 45hold, that Imputation of Chriſts Obedience and Suffering together, are in order of nature before our Remiſſion of ſin and Acceptance, as the meritorious cauſe: And theſe can mean it in no other ſence than that which I maintain. So doth Davenant de Juſt. hab. et act. & Pet. Molinaeus Theſ. Sedan. Vol. 1. pag. 625. Imputatio juſtitiae Chriſti propter quam peccata remittuntur, & cenſemur juſti coram Deo. Mareſius Theſ. Sedan. Vol. 2. pag. 770, 771. § 6 & 10. maketh the material cauſe of our Juſtification to be the Merits and Satisfaction of Chriſt, yea the Merit of his Satisfaction, and ſo maketh the formal Cauſe of Juſtification to be the Imputation of Chriſts Righteouſneſs, or which is the ſame, the ſolemn Remiſſion of all ſins, and our free Acceptance with God. Note that he maketh Imputation to be the ſame thing with Remiſſion and Acceptance; which is more than the former ſaid.

2. Note, that when they ſay that Imputation is the Form of Juſtification, they mean not of Juſtification Paſſively as it is ours, but Actively as it is Gods Juſtifying act; ſo Mareſius ibidem. And many deny it to be the form: And many think that ſaying improper.

3. Note, that it is ordinarily agreed by Proteſtants, that Chriſts Righteouſneſs is imputed to us in the ſame ſence as our ſins are ſaid to be imputed to him; (even before they are committed many Ages;) which cleareth fully the whole Controverſie to thoſe that are but willing to underſtand, and blaſpheme not Chriſt; ſo Mareſius ubi ſupra: Quemadmodum propter deliquia noſtra ei imputata punitus fuit Chriſtus in terris; ita & propter ejus Juſtitiam nobis imputatam coronamur in Caelis. And Joh. p. 46Crocius Diſput. 10. p. 502. And Vaſſeur in his ſolid Diſp. Theſ. Sedan. Vol. 2. pag. 1053, 1054. While he mentioneth only Satisfaction for our Juſtification, yet § 27. ſaith that Satisfaction is imputed to us, and placeth Chriſts Imputed Righteouſneſs in his Obedience to the death; and ſaith that this ſatisfying Obedience, in ſuffering, is our Imputed Righteouſneſs. Ea igitur Obedientia Chriſti qua Patri paruit uſque ad mortem crucis, qua coram Patre comparuit ut voluntatem ejus perficeret, qua a Patre miſſus, ut nos ſui ſanguinis effuſione redimeret, juſtitiae ejus pro peccatis noſtris abunde ſatisfecit; ea inquam obedientia ex gratia Patris imputata & donata, illa juſtitia eſt qua juſtificamur. And they ordinarily uſe the ſimilitude of the Redemption of a Captive, and Imputing the Price to him. He addeth (Hence we may gather that as Chriſt was made ſin, ſo we are made the Righteouſneſs of God, that is by Imputation] which is true.

The plain truth in all this is within the reach of every ſound Chriſtian, and ſelf-conceited wranglers make difficulties where there are none. Yea, how far the Papiſts themſelves grant the Proteſtant doctrine of Imputation, let the following words of Vaſſeur on Bellarmine be judg. [Bellarm. ait; Si ſolum vellent haeretici nobis imputari Merita Chriſti, quia nobis donata ſunt, & poſſumus ea Deo Patri offerre pro peccatis noſtris, quoniam Chriſtus ſuſcepit ſuper ſe onus ſatisfaciendi pro nobis, noſque Deo Patri reconciliandi, recta eſſet eorum Sententia: I doubt ſome will ſay, it is falſe, becauſe Bellarmine granteth it; but Vaſſeur addeth [Haec ille: ſed an noſtra longe abeſt ab illâ, quam in nobis requireret ſententia.] And I wiſh the Reader that loveth Truth and Peace p. 47to read the words of Pighius, Caſſander, Bellarmine, &c. ſaying as the Proteſtants, cited by Joh. Crocius de Juſtificat. Diſput. 9. pag. 458. &c. And of Morton Apolog eſpecially Tho. Waldenſis.

Nazianzen's ſentence prefixed by the great Baſil-Doctors to their Confeſſion, I do affectionately recite, [Sacred Theologie and Religion is a ſimple and naked thing; conſiſting of Divine Teſtimonies without any great artifice: which yet ſome do naughtily turn into a moſt difficult Art.

The Hiſtory of the Socinians oppoſing Chriſts Satisfaction and Merits I overpaſs, as being handled by multitude of Writers.

If any impartial man would not be troubled with needleſs tedious writings, and yet would ſee the Truth clearly, about Juſtification and Imputation, in a very little room, let him read, 1. Mr. Bradſhaw, 2. Mr. Gibbon's Sermon in the Exerciſes at Giles's in the Fields. 3. Mr. Truman's great Propitiation. 4. Joſhua Placeus, his Diſput. de Juſtif. in Theſ. Salmur. Vol. 1. 5. And Le Blank's late Theſes; Which will ſatisfie thoſe that have any juſt capacity for ſatisfaction. And if he add Wotton de Reconciliatione, and Grotius de Satisfactione, he need not loſe his labour: no nor by reading John Goodwin of Juſtification, though every word be not approveable. And Dr. Stillingfleet's Sermons of Satisfaction, coming laſt, will alſo conduce much to his juſt information.

So much of the Hiſtorical part.