The Sum of Christian Religion, Catechism · Part 2 · Christ's two natures · Question 60
Queſt. 60. How art thou righteous before God?
Anſ. OnelyOnly by faith in Chriſt JeſusbRom. 3.21.22, 24. & 5.1. Gal. 2.16. Epheſ. 2.8, 9. Phil. 3.9.: ſo that although my conſcience accuſe me, that I have grievouſly treſpaſſed againſt all the commandements of God, and have not kept one of themcRom. 3.9. &c.: and further am as yet prone to all evilldRom. 7.23.; yet notwithſtanding, if I imbrace theſe benefits of Chriſt with a true confidence and perſwaſion of mindeRom. 3.22. John 3.18., the full and perfect ſatisfactionf1 John 2.2., righteouſneſſe, and holineſſe of Chriſtg1 John 2.1., without any merit of minehTit. 3.5. Deut. 9.10. Ezek. 36.22., of the meere mercy of GodiRom. 3.24. Epheſ. 2.8., is imputed and given unto mekRom. 44. 2 Cor. 5.19., and that ſo, as if I neither had committed any ſinne, neither any corruption did ſtick unto me; yea, as if I my ſelfe had perfectly accompliſhed that obedience, which Chriſt accompliſht for mel2 Cor. 5.21..
The Explication.
THis Doctrine of Juſtification, is one of the chiefe points of our faith; not onelyonly becauſe it treateth of the chiefe and principall matters, but alſo becauſe this Doctrine is moſt of others called by Hereticks into controverſie. For there are two principall controverſies betweene the Church and Hereticks. The firſt, Of the Doctrine concerning God; the other, of this Doctrine of Juſtification before God: and either of theſe Doctrines being overthrown, the other points of our faith eaſily go to wrack. Wherefore we ought chiefly to fence and ſtrengthen our ſelves againſt hereſies, in Doctrine concerning God and his Juſtification.
The ſpeciall Queſtions:
1. What juſtice or righteouſneſſe is in generall.
2. How manifold it is.
3. In what juſtice differeth from justification.
4. What is our juſtice or righteouſneſſe before God.
5. How it is made ours, whereas it is without us.
6. Why it is made ours.
1. What justice or righteouſneſſe in generall is.
RIghteouſneſſe is derived from Right, which is the law it ſelfe; and conformity with the law is righteouſneſſe it ſelfe:foreign. as, of the contrary, unrighteouſneſſe or ſin is a tranſgreſſing of the law.foreign. In generall, it may be thus defined: Juſtice is a conformity with God, or with the law of God: although indeed a definition ſo generall of juſtice can ſearce be given, as may agree both to God and Creatures (even ſuch as may agree to the fartheſt and higheſt kinds of juſtice or righteouſneſſe, which are, Uncreate, and Created righteouſneſſe) except we will make a definition full of ambiguity.Uncreate juſtice is God himſelfe, Our created juſtice, is our conformity with Gods lawes appertaining unto us. Rom. 3.31. For uncreated juſtice or righteouſneſſe is God himſelfe, who is the very ſquire and rule all of juſtice. Created juſtice is an effect of uncreate or divine juſtice in reaſonable creatures. Justice therefore or righteouſneſſe in generall (as it agreeth to creatures) is a fulfilling of thoſe lawes, which belong to reaſonable creatures: or is the conformity or correſpondence of reaſonable creatures with the lawes appertaining and belonging unto them. Finally, Juſtice is the fulfilling of the law: and conformity with the law is juſtice or righteouſneſſe it ſelfe. This we muſt know, becauſe we muſt be juſtified by the fulfilling of the law: and we muſt underſtand, that the law is not aboliſhed, but eſtabliſhed by the Goſpel. For the righteouſneſſe and juſtice of the Goſpel, is the fulfilling of the law: but doth not at all diſagree from the law.
2. How manifold justice is.
JUſtice in generall, is either uncreated Juſtice, as God himſelfe; or created, as all Juſtice in reaſonable creatures.Legall juſtice. Created juſtice is legall and evangelicall. Legall juſtice is the fulfilling of the law, performed by him, who is thereby ſaid to be juſt: or, it is ſuch a fulfilling of the law, which one performeth by his owne obedience: or, it is a conformity with the law, which is in him who is called juſt. This legall juſtice was in us men before the fall, and now is in Angels, and in Chriſt, as he is man, as an accident inherent in his ſubject.Evangelicall juſtice, or the juſtice of the Goſpel. Evangelicall justice is alſo a fulfilling of the law; but is not in him, who is called thereby juſt or righteous, but in another, and is only imputed to him, who is thereof called juſt. This is Chriſts juſtice or righteouſneſſe performed for us: or that ranſome of the Sonne of God imputed unto us by faith. It may be alſo defined briefly thus: Evangelicall juſtice is a conformity with the law, performed by Chriſt, and imputed of God to us by faith. The legall juſtice is performed either by the obedience of the law, or by puniſhment. For the law neceſſarily requireth one of theſe. That which is performed by the obedience of the law, is either generall or particular. Generall or Univerſall juſtice.The generall is an obſerving of all lawes which belong unto us; or it is an obedience according to all the lawes unto us appertaining. For it is no right or juſtice, but curioſity, to pry into lawes or matters concerning rather other men then our ſelves;1 Theſ. 4.11. and hereof it is ſaid, Study to be quiet, and to meddle with your owne buſineſſe. This generall juſtice is of two ſorts; perfect and unperfect. The perfect is an externall and internall obedience to all the lawes belonging unto us.Perfect juſtice. Or, it is a perfect both inward and outward conformity with the law of God. Curſed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to doe them. Deut. 27.26.The imperfect or begun justice, is a conformity begun onelyonly and imperfect;Imperfect juſtice. even ſuch a juſtice as doth not doe all things, or not after that manner, which the law requireth. This imperfect juſtice is alſo of two ſorts;Philoſophicall juſtice. Philoſophicall, and Chriſtian. The Philoſophicall is a knowledge in the mind, of Gods law and vertues, imperfect, obſcure, and weake, and whatſoever manner of purpoſe in the will and heart to doe thoſe things which are right and honeſt according to that imperfect knowledge:Chriſtian juſtice. and a directing and governing of their behaviour and manners according to the law. The Christian is regeneration, or a knowledge of God and his law; imperfect indeed, yet more notable and perfect then the Philoſophicall, and to be perfected after this life; riſing from faith and the love of God kindled in the hearts only of the regenerate, by the vertue and operation of the holy Ghoſt through the Goſpel, and joyned with an earneſt & ſerious inclination of the will and heart to obey God according to all his commandements. This juſtice is proper to the elect and regenerate in this life, and floweth from a juſtifying faith. The particular juſtice is that vertue,Particular juſtice which giveth to every one his own: and is of two ſorts, Commutative or exchanging, Commutative juſtice. Diſtributive juſtice.and diſtributive. The commutative obſerveth equality of things, and prices in exchanges, and contracts or bargaines. The diſtributive obſerveth a proportion in diſtributing offices, goods, rewards, puniſhments, giving rewards and puniſhments agreeable and proportionable unto the perſons. Let the Country-man till the ground, let the Stateſ-man mannage the affaires of the Common-wealth, let the Preacher inſtruct the Church; on the good heape rewards, on the evill aggravate puniſhments. Let honour be given to whom honour belongeth, Rom. 13.7.and tribute to whom tribute belongeth.
There is alſo another diviſion of Juſtice; namely, Of the perſon, and Of the cauſe. Juſtice of the perſon, when a perſon is juſt and agreeable to the Law.Juſtice of the perſon, and of the cauſe. Of the cauſe, when he hath a juſt and good cauſe in any controverſie, whether the perſon himſelf be good or bad. Herewith David doth oftentimes comfort himſelf in his Pſalmes. It is otherwiſe called, The juſtice of a good conſcience.
A briefe Table, comprehending the partition of Juſtice, ſet downe in the ſecond Chapter of this tract of Justification.
Juſtice in generall is a conformity with God, or with the Law of God: Or, it is a fulfilling of Gods Law. This Juſtice is divided into
1. Uncreated juſtice: which is God himſelfe, whoſe whole effence is meere Juſtice.
2. Created juſtice: which is an effect of God in reaſonable creatures, whereby they be conformable unto Gods Law. It is divided into
1. Legall juſtice, or juſtice of workes: which is perfect obedience of the Law performed by Angels or Men. This again is diſtinguiſhed into
1 Univerſall juſtice: which is an obſerving of all the lawes which belong unto us. It is divided into
1. Perfect juſtice: which is an external and internal conformity with the Law of God, and other lawes of men, which concern us.
2. Imperfect juſtice: which is a conformity indeed, but begun onelyonly. This is again ſubdivided into
1. Philoſophicall, or humane juſtice: which is a knowledge of Gods Law and vertues, imperfect, obſcure and weake, &c.
2. Chriſtian juſtice: which is a knowledge of God, and his Law, imperfect indeed, yet apparent, kindled in the heart by the holy Ghoſt, through the Goſpel, and joyned with a ſerious inclination of the will and heart to obey God according to all his commandements.
2. Particular juſtice: which is a vertue giving to every man his owne: and is divided into
1. Commutative juſtice: which obſerveth an equality of things, and prices in contracts and exchanges.
2. Diſtributive juſtice: which obſerveth a proportion in diſtributing offices, goods, rewards, puniſhments.
2. Evangelicall justice, or juſtice of faith: which is a fulfilling of the law, performed not by us, but by another for us; that is, the ranſome of the Son of God imputed unto us.
3. In what Juſtice differeth from Justification.
JƲſtice is the very conformity it ſelfe with the law, and the fulfilling of the law, and the thing whereby we are just before God; which is the very ſatisfaction of Chriſt performed on the Croſſe. Juſtification is the application of that juſtice: and by this application, the thing whereby we are juſt, even that juſtice and ſatisfaction of Chriſt is made ours: and, except that be made ours, or applied and imputed unto us, we cannot be juſt; as neither the wall is made white, except whiteneſſe be applyed unto it: For even in like maner Juſtice differeth from Justification, or juſtifying, as whiteneſſe from whitening. So application and imputation are not all one: for imputation is not extended ſo far as application. For God alone doth impute, but we alſo doe apply unto us. Now Juſtification is divided in like ſort as is Juſtice: For there is one Juſtification legall, which is a working of conformity with God, or with the Law of God in us. Legall Juſtification.This is begun in us by the holy Ghoſt, when as we are regenerated. There is another Juſtification evangelicall, which is an application of his evangelicall juſtice unto us; Evangelicall Juſtification.or, it is an imputation of anothers juſtice, which is without us in Chriſt: or, it is an imputation and applying of Chriſts righteouſneſs, which he performed by dying for us on the Croſſe, and riſing againe. It is not a transfuſing of the qualities into us, but an aſſoiling and abſolving us in judgement for anothers righteouſneſſe. Wherefore, Justification and Remiſsion of ſins are all one: For, to juſtifie, is, that God ſhould not impute ſin unto us,What it is to juſtifie. but accept us for juſt, and abſolve or pronounce us juſt and righteous for Chriſts juſtice imputed unto us. That this word is thus to be underſtood, is proved: In thy ſight ſhall no man living be juſtified; that is, ſhall not be abſolved,Pſal. 143.3, 22. ſhall not be pronounced juſt, to wit, by inherent righteouſneſſe. Bleſſed are they, Pſal. 32.1, 2. Rom. 4.7.whoſe iniquities are forgiven, and whoſe ſins are covered. Bleſſed is the man to whom the Lord imputeth no ſin. Out of theſe words, Paul interpreteth juſtification to be the remiſſion of ſins, where the word impute is ſeven times uſed. Object. Hee that is juſt and righteous, is conformed and agreeable to the law. To juſtifie is to make juſt: Therefore to juſtifie, is to make one agreeable to the law. All this is granted: To juſtifie, is to make one agreeable unto the law, either in himſelfe, which is called our own juſtice, inherent, infuſed, legall juſtice: or in another, which we terme imputed righteouſneſſe, righteouſneſſe of faith, the righteouſneſſe of the Goſpel, and anothers righteouſneſſe, becauſe it is not inherent in us, but in Chriſt: this is alſo a conformity with the law.Rom. 3.31. For faith maketh not the law to be of none effect, but eſtabliſheth it. And ſuch now is our Juſtice and Juſtification. For the queſtion is concerning that righteouſneſſe, whereby we ſinners are juſt in this life before God; not of that whereby we ſhall be juſt in the other life, or had bin juſt before the fall, if man had not ſinned.
4. What is our justice or righteouſneſſe before God.
Our righteouſneſs is Chriſts ſatisfaction, which conſiſteth in his humiliation.OƲr juſtice or righteouſneſſe, that is, the juſtice or righteouſneſſe of the Goſpel, whereby wee are juſt in the ſight of God, is not our conformity with the law, nor our good workes, nor our faith; but it is Chriſts ſatisfaction onelyonly performed unto the law for us, or the puniſhments which hee ſuſtained for us, and ſo his whole humiliation from the beginning of his conception, untill his glorification: (that is, his taking of fleſh, his undertaking of ſervitude, penury, ignominy, and infirmity, his ſuffering of that bitter paſſion and death; all which he did undergo for us, but willingly: finally, whatſoever he did, or ſuffered, whereunto himſelfe, as being juſt, and the Sonne of God, was not bound) and that humiliation and ſatisfaction freely of God imputed unto us his faithfull and beleevers. For that ſatisfaction is equivalent either to the fulfilling of the law by obedience, or to the abiding of eternall puniſhment for ſin;1. Cor. 2.2. Col. 2.10. Rom. 5.19. Eſay 53.5, 6. Luke 22.20. Rom. 3.24, 25. & 4.7. & 5.9, 10. to one of which wee were bound by the law. I eſteemed not to know any thing among you, ſave Jeſus Chriſt and him crucified. Yee are compleat in him. By the obedience of one ſhall many be made righteous. With his ſtripes wee are healed. The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquities of us all. This cup is the New Testament in my bloud, which is ſhed for you. All are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Chriſt Jeſus: whom God hath ſet forth to be a reconciliation through faith in his bloud. Bleſſed are they, whoſe iniquities are forgiven, and whoſe ſins are covered. Being juſtified by his bloud, we ſhall be ſaved from wrath. We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son. 2 Cor. 8.9. Gal. 3.13. Epheſ. 1.7. 1 John 1.7.Hee being rich, for our ſakes became poore, that wee through his poverty might be made rich. Christ hath redeemed us from the curſe of the Law, when he was made a curſe for us. By whom wee have redemption through his bloud, even the forgiveneſſe of ſins. The bloud of Jeſus Christ, the Sonne of God cleanſeth us from all ſinne. Now that Chriſt might performe obedience, and ſatisfie for us, it behooveth him to be our Mediatour, being by himſelfe juſt and holy. For ſuch an high Prieſt it became us to have, holy, harmleſſe, undefiled, ſeparate from ſinners, and made higher than the heavens. Heb. 7.26.All theſe things are true perfectly and wholly in Chriſt: for he hath perfectly fulfilled the law for us, 1. By the holineſſe of his humane nature. 2. By his obedience: for hee became obedient to the death, even to the death of the Croſſe. Phil. 2.8.And the former fulfilling of the law, namely, the holineſſe of Chriſts humane nature, was requiſite for the other, even for his obedience. This obedience and ſatisfaction of Chriſt is our ſatisfaction, and our proper juſtice, for which we pleaſe God, for which wee are received into favour with God the Father, and which is imputed unto us. That former fulfilling of the law is indeed imputed alſo unto us, namely, the humiliation and juſtice, or righteouſneſſe of Chriſts humane nature, that wee may be reputed holy before God: but this holineſſe of Chriſt is imputed unto us for his obedience or ſatisfaction ſake: becauſe he ſatisfied for us Gods juſtice, in ſuſtaining eternall puniſhment and paines, which we ſhould have ſuſtained everlaſtingly. Hence is it that the effuſion of Chriſts bloud (as being the complement and conſummation of Chriſts ſatisfaction) is only ſaid to be our juſtice and righteouſneſſe.1 John 1.7. The bloud of Jeſus Chriſt cleanſeth us from all ſin; that is, not onelyonly from that which is of commiſsion, but alſo from that which is of omiſsion.
Wee are to diſtinguiſh between theſe queſtions: 1. How a reaſonable creature may be just before God. 2. How man, being a ſinner, may be just before God. 3. Whether a reaſonable creature may merit or deſerve ought at Gods hand. To the firſt queſtion wee anſwer; That a reaſonable creature may be juſt before God by the conformity of the law inherent in him, as bleſſed Men and Angels are juſt. To the ſecond, That man, being a ſinner, is juſt by the imputation onelyonly of Chriſts merit: and of this queſtion is our ſpeech, when wee ſpeak of Juſtification. But a man, which is a ſinner, cannot in himſelf be juſt before God: 1. Becauſe before his juſtification, his workes are corrupt. 2. Alſo after his justification, the works of a man, which is a ſinner, are imperfect. 3. When they are perfect, as in the life to come they ſhall be, yet can we not ſatisfie for the ſin past: for wee owe thoſe works when we doe them. To the third, That no reaſonable creature can deſerve ought at Gods hand. When yee have done all, ſay, We are unprofitable ſervants: Luke 17.10.For neither is Chriſts obedience verily any merit, in this reſpect, as if any good came to God by it; but in reſpect of the dignity of the perſon, becauſe it was Chriſt that ſuffered, it is called merit.
5. How Chriſts ſatisfaction is made our juſtice and righteouſneſſe.
WHereas it may ſeem abſurd, that we ſhould be juſtified by that which is another mans; we are further to expreſſe more plainly how Chriſts ſatisfaction and obedience becometh ours. For except it be made ours, or applyed unto us, we cannot be made juſt for it; as a wall is not white, except whiteneſſe be faſtned on it.Chr…ſts ſatisfaction made ours two waies: The ſatisfaction therefore or juſtice of Chriſt is made ours or applyed unto us two waies: that is, by a double application: By himſelfe, imputing or applying it unto us.God himſelfe applyeth it unto us: that is, he imputeth unto us Chriſts righteouſneſſe; and for it accepteth us for righteous, no otherwiſe than if it were ours. By applying it unto our ſelves.We apply it unto our ſelves, when wee apprehend by faith Chriſts righteouſneſſe, that is, when we are ſtedfaſtly perſwaded, that God doth impute, apply, and give it unto us, and for it, reputeth us for juſt, abſolving us from all guilt. There is then a double application: one in reſpect of God, another in reſpect of us. The application in reſpect of God, is, the imputation of Chriſts righteouſneſſe: when God accepteth Chriſts righteouſneſſe (which hee performed, that it might be effectuall and forcible on our behalfe) and in regard thereof accounteth us for righteous, no leſſe than if we had never ſinned, or at leaſt had payed a ſufficient puniſhment for our ſinnes. The application in reſpect of us is the very act of beleeving, whereby we reſolve our ſelves, that it is imputed and given unto us, &c. Both applications muſt neceſſarily concurre. For God applieth Chriſts righteouſneſſe unto us on this condition, that we our ſelves alſo ſhould apply it unto our ſelves through faith. For, though a man offer another a courteſie or benefit; yet if hee, to whom it is offered, receive it not, is not applyed unto him, it is none of his. Wherefore without this our application, Gods application is not at all; and yet our application is alſo from God: For God firſt imputeth unto us Chriſts ſatisfaction; then he ingendreth faith in us, whereby we may apply the ſame imputed unto us. So then Gods application goeth before, and is the cauſe of our application (which is of faith) albeit his is not without ours,John 15.16. When we may be aſſured of Chriſts ſatisfaction imputed unto us. as Chriſt ſaith: Yee have not choſen me, but I have choſen you. Now we may then be aſſured, that Chriſts righteouſneſſe or ſatisfaction is imputed unto us of God, when we earneſtly deſire Gods grace, and feel the holy Ghoſt to work in us a true confidence in the Mediatour.
That which is now ſpoken of both applications, both Gods and ours, doth manifeſtly ſhew, 1. That it is no abſurdity to ſay, Wee are justified by anothers justice: For, the juſtice,Foure concluſions iſſuing out of the former doctrine. for which, by faith applied unto us, we are reputed juſt, is not ſimply anothers, but is in ſome ſort made ours, even by application. The ſubject indeed wherein this juſtice is inherent, is Chriſt: we are the object, to which this juſtice is directed, ſith it is imputed unto us. 2. That the word Imputation is more ſtrict than Application. The former is ſpoken of God only; the latter of God and us. 3. That God otherwiſe applieth Chriſts juſtice unto us than we doe. God applyeth it by imputation and we apply it by faith and acceptation. 4. That this phraſe of the Church, To justifie, The ſignification of the phraſe, To juſtifie, proved by the Grammaticall derivation of it in divers languages. In hip….ſignifieth not legally, that is, To make one just who is unjuſt, by infuſing the quality of juſtice, but evangelically; that is, To repute him which is unjust for juſt and righteous, and to abſolve him from all guilt, and not to puniſh him; and this for anothers juſtice and ſatisfaction imputed unto him. So the Scripture uſeth this word, and almoſt in all tongues it beareth no other ſignification: for the Hebrew word Hadzdik, Exod. 23.…. Prov. 17.15.ſignifieth, To abſolve a guilty perſon, To pronounce him guiltleſſe: I will not justifie a wicked perſon. He that juſtifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the juſt, even they both are abomination to the Lord. The Greek word foreign ſignifieth ſometime, To pronounce a man juſt and righteous, and ſometimes, To puniſh an offender; and both, on good knowledge of his cauſe by due examination and judiciall proceſſe; as Suidas well obſerveth.Mat. 12.37. So ſaith Chriſt, By thy words thou ſhalt be juſtified. The former ſignification is uſed two waies in Scripture. For either it ſignifies not to condemne, but To abſolve in judgement: Rom. 8.33.as, Who ſhall condemne the Elect of God? it is God that juſtifieth. Hee departed juſtified rather than the other: or it ſignifieth, To pronounce and proclaime juſt. Luke. 18.14.As, Wiſedome is juſtified of her children. That thou mayeſt be juſtified in thy ſayings. Howbeit both ſignifications in this Queſtion come to one end. But, that to juſtifie, ſhould be uſed for, to make juſt, or, to infuſe an habit of juſtice, is no where found amongſt the Latines: and were it read in Latine Authours, yet in Scripture, and in the Church it is otherwiſe uſed: as the alledged places apparently prove, which can be underſtood no other way, than of the abſolution, and free accepting a ſinner to grace and favour. Who ſhall accuſe Gods Elect? it is God that juſtifieth. The Publicane departed juſtified, that is, abſolved, and more accepted of God than the Phariſee.Acts 13.39. For, from all things, from which yee could not be justified by the Law of Moſes, by him every one that beleeveth is juſtified, Here, To be juſtified, doth evidently ſignifie to be abſolved,Rom. 3.24, 26, 28. & 4.5. & 5.9, 10. & to receive remiſſion of ſins: All are justified freely by his grace. A juſtifier of him which is of the faith of Jeſus. A man is juſtified by faith without the workes of the law. To him that worketh not, but beleeveth in him that juſtifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteouſneſſe. Being now juſtified by his bloud. Reconciled to God by the death of his Son.
6. Why Chriſts ſatisfaction is made ours, or in what ſort God imputeth it unto us for righteouſneſſe.
The cauſe of Chriſts ſatisfaction applyed and imputed, is in God only, not in us.THe perfect fulfilling of the law performed by Christ for us, is made ours, or applyed unto us, through the alone and free mercy of God, as who from everlaſting did predeſtinate us to this grace, and freely choſe us in Chriſt, to whom he might apply, of his meere grace of faith, that juſtice and righteouſneſſe at his appointed time, according to the good pleaſure of his will, as the Apoſtle ſpeaketh: that is, according to his meere good pleaſure, not being moved with any holineſſe which hee foreſaw would be in us. The reaſon is, becauſe there can be no good thing in us, except God firſt worke in us. Wherefore all imagination and affirmation of merit is to be taken away, as which fighteth with the grace of God, and is a deniall of his divine grace: For the grace and mercy of God is the only cauſe of both applications. He of his goodnes, infinite and paſſing meaſure, applyeth Chriſts merit unto us, and maketh that we alſo may apply the ſame unto us. The cauſe therefore why this application is wrought, is in God alone; but not at all in us, that is, it is neither any thing foreſeen in us, neither alſo our apprehenſion and receiving of this juſtice; for all the gifts and graces which are in us, are effects of the application of Chriſts merit: and therefore that merit of Chriſt is no way applied unto us for the works ſake which wee doe; but this is done, as the Apoſtle teacheth,Epheſ. 1.5. According to the good pleaſure of his will. Whereupon alſo it is ſaid, What hast thou that thou hast not received? 1 Cor. 4.7.By grace are yee ſaved through faith, and that not of your ſelves; it is the gift of God.Epheſ. 2.8.
Chriſt is then in reſpect of our juſtification, 1. As the ſubject and matter wherein our juſtice is. 2. As the impellent cauſe, becauſe he obtaineth it. 3. As the chief efficient, becauſe he together with his Father doth juſtifie us, and giveth us faith, whereby wee beleeve and apprehend it. The mercy of God is as the impellent cauſe thereof in God: Chriſts ſatisfaction is the formall cauſe of our juſtification, giving the very life and being unto it: Our faith is the instrumentall cauſe, apprehending and applying unto us the juſtice or righteouſneſſe of Chriſt. We muſt note therefore,How we are juſtified by the grace of God; how by Chriſts merit, and how by faith. that we are juſtified by the grace of God, by the merit of Chriſt, and by faith, but by each of theſe in a ſeverall ſenſe and meaning. The firſt poſition is underſtood of the impulſive cauſe, which is in God: the ſecond of the formall cauſe, in Chriſt: the third of the instrumentall cauſe, in us. We are justified by the mercy or grace of God, as a principall impellent cauſe, wherewith God being urged and moved, juſtifieth and ſaveth us. We are justified by the merit of Chriſt, partly as by the formall cauſe of our juſtification, inaſmuch as by Chriſts obedience applied unto us, we are accepted of God, and being clothed as it were with this raiment, are reputed juſt: partly as by an impulſive and meritorious cauſe, inaſmuch as God abſolveth us for his ſake. Wee are justified by faith, as by an inſtrumentall cauſe, whereby we apprehend Chriſts righteouſneſſe imputed unto us.
The common received opinion ſaith; We are juſtified by faith correlatively: that is, we are juſtified by that whereunto faith hath relation, to wit, the merit of Chriſt, which faith apprehendeth: For faith, and the ſatisfaction of Chriſt, are correlatives, that is, have a mutuall reſpect each to other; the one being that which receiveth, and the other that which is received. This kind of ſpeech is well and probably uſed; becauſe hereby faith is underſtood of the formall cauſe of juſtification, that ſo the ſenſe may be; Chriſts merit justifieth us, and not faith it ſelfe: that which is apprehended doth juſtifie us, and not the inſtrument which doth apprehend. Nevertheleſſe, this propoſition, We are juſtified by faith, may be underſtood alſo without relation, to wit, we are juſtified by faith, as a meane. But this propoſition of the Apoſtle, Faith was imputed to him for righteouſneſſe, and other the like,Rom. 4.3. are neceſſarily to be underſtood with a relation to Chriſts merit and juſtice. Faith was imputed unto him for righteouſneſſe, as faith is the apprehending inſtrument of righteouſneſſe apprehended; faith being as it were the hand, wherewith the juſtice of Chriſt is received.