A Fresh Antidote Against Neonomian Bane, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Of Righteouſneſs.
Sect. 1. Righteouſneſs what, and of what kinds. §. 2. Of Diſtributive Juſtice. §. 3. Diſtinctions in reſpect of Juſtice. §. 4. God's Juſtice in Efficiency. §. 5. No Juſtifying Righteouſneſs but perfect. §. 6. Of the way of God's Execution of his Juſtice. §. 7. Righteouſneſs again diſtinguiſhed. §. 8. Righteouſneſs of Juſtification and Sanctification.
Sect. 1. JƲſtitia eſt ſuum cuique tribuere, to give every one his due; ſo Cicero. The Spirit of God tells us, its to render every one their due or right, Rom. 13.7. Prov. 27. And its either commutative or diſtributive; commutative when perſons mutually perform their Duty to each other which they are bound to by any Law, Covenant or Agreement, whether they be ſuperiors to inferiors, or inferiors to ſuperiors, or equals to one another; a due conformity in obedience to a Law, is commutative Juſtice, Rom. 13. done for Conſcience ſake, giving the Legiſlator his due; but if he is pleaſed not only to bind me to Duty, but promiſe a Reward upon performance, as I am bound to Obedience, ſo on the performance thereof God is bound to Reward; whence if Man had ſtood, the Covenant had bin fulfilled by way of commutation; its ſo between Magiſtrate and People, being bound together by Covenant, and each obſerving his Duty to other, its done by commutative Juſtice, and yet without any derogation from the Authority and Grandeur, and juſt Prerogative of the Magiſtrate.
§. 2. Diſtributive Juſtice or Righteouſneſs, is Magiſtratick, for the maintaining commutative Juſtice, by awarding it where its refuſed, or puniſhing the breach thereof, or in vindicating juſt perſons, which are falſly accuſed upon that account, to render to men judicially according to their works. All firſt conformity to Laws and Covenants is by commutative Juſtice; but upon complaint of the breach of the Rules thereof, Diſtributive Juſtice takes place. Hence God's execution of diſtributive Juſtice takes place upon the Fall of Men and Angels.
§. 3. Again, Righteouſneſs is to be diſtinguiſhed in regard of the ſubject, Its either the Righteouſneſs of God, or the Righteouſneſs of Man; the Righteouſneſs of God is that which peculiarly belongs to himſelf, and that in his Sufficiency or Efficiency; the Juſtice appertaining to God in his Sufficiency, is his Eſſential Attribute, whereby he is eternally, infinitely and unchangeably righteous; this is not a righteouſneſs imputed unto us in Juſtification, but a juſtifying righteouſneſs, it is the juſt God that juſtifieth.
§. 4. God's Juſtice in Efficiency is the execution thereof, that his eſſential Juſtice may ſhine forth to his Praiſe and Glory, The Execution of his Juſtice is a tranſient Act, and is either Legiſlation, or execution of his Laws. God's Legiſlation is his acting from his Sovereign Will and Pleaſure in laying what Laws he pleaſeth on the creature; Laws are not purchaſed of God, any more than Grace, therefore they that talk in that manner, ſeem neither to underſtand Law or Grace. In God's Legiſlation, he hath given Man but one Law for Life, in the fulfilling where for not, Man is liable to be eternally ſaved or condemned; and God never made, nor Chriſt purchaſed any Remedying Law to amend the faults thereof, never abrogated or relaxt it, but it ſtands in its full Sanction preceptive, remunerative or vindictive.
§. 5. There neither is, nor ever was any juſtifying righteouſneſs to Man, but what is the perfect and compleat righteouſneſs of this Law, as imperfect righteouſneſs is renounced and condemned by this Law; ſo it will not ſtand for Juſtification with any of God's Laws, neither is it Grace in God to relax his Law, he cannot deny himſelf in the perfection of Juſtice.
§. 6. The execution of this Law upon Man ſince the Fall, is in a way of meer Juſtice, or in a way of exact Juſtice in conſiſtency with Grace and Mercy. In a way of meer Juſtice, to the Glory thereof, on the Veſſels of Wrath; in a way of Juſtice in conſiſtency with all the deſigns of Grace and Mercy, by ſetting up a Second Adam, and providing ſuch a righteouſneſs in him, as might fully anſwer all the demands of the Law, which the Law ſhould accept and and impute to the Sinner, the Mediatorial and Surety Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, and this is called the righteouſneſs of God, that we are made in Juſtification. Mr. H. denys it, but we ſhall endeavour to prove it.
§. 7. Righteouſneſs of Man is to be diſtinguiſhed, Either as it is of his own performance for Juſtification, and ſo its the righteouſneſs of the Law, and rejected by the Apoſtle; Or as its performed by another, by Jeſus Chriſt for us, and this is called Our Righteouſneſs, and is ſo by real Imputation and Free Gift: This is our only Evangelical Righteouſneſs.
§. 8. Its alſo conſidered in reſpect of Juſtification before God, In this reſpect all Fallen Man's imperfect Righteouſneſs is filthy Rags; in reſpect of Sanctification they are the fruit of the Spirit, and accepted in Chriſt, the perſon being juſtified, and therefore Believers are often denominated righteous in Scripture.