Gospel Truth Stated and Vindicated, Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Of the Change of Person between Christ and the Elect, and their being as Righteous as he.
Truth. THE Mediatorial Righteousness of Christ is so imputed to true Believers, as that for the sake thereof they are pardoned and accepted unto Life eternal, it being reckoned to them, and pleadable by them for these Uses, as if they had personally done and suffered what Christ did as Mediator for them, whereby they are delivered from the Curse, and no other Atonement nor meriting Price of saving Benefits can be demanded from them. Nevertheless this Mediatorial Righteousness is not subjectively in them; nor is there a Change of Person betwixt them and Christ, neither are they as righteous as he but there remain Spots and Blemishes in them, untill Christ by his Spirit perfect that Holiness begun in all true Believers; which he will effect, before he bring them to Heaven.
Errour. Every Believer (or elect Person) is as righteous as Christ, and there is a perfect Change of Person and Condition betwixt Christ and the Elect; he was what we are, and we are what he was, viz. perfectly holy, and without Spot or Blemish.
Proved that this is Dr. Crisp's Opinion.
P. 270, 271. The Doctor saith, Mark it well, Christ himself is not so compleatly righteous, but we are as righteous as he; nor we so compleatly sinful, but Christ became, being made sin, as compleatly sinful as we. Nay, more, we are the same Righteousness, for we are made the Righteousness of God; that very Sinfulness that we were, Christ is made that very Sinfulness before God. So that here is a direct Change, Christ takes our Person and Condition, and stands in our stead; we take Christ's Person and Condition, and stand in his stead. What the Lord beheld Christ, that he beholds the Members of Christ to be, &c. So that if you reckon well, you must always reckon your selves in anothers Person, and that other in your Person. And, P. 180. God gives his Son Christ, &c. God gives the Person of Christ to Men, as much as to say, God gives Christ to stand in the room of Men, and Men stand in the room of Christ. So that in giving Christ, God is pleased, as it were, to make a Change, and all the Loveliness the Person of Christ hath, that is put upon us, and we are as lovely with him, even as the Son himself. And, P. 158. Here is a Person in Blood in a loathsome Condition, but for all this, as loathsome as the Person is in himself, and in his own Nature, yet here is Perfection of Beauty, &c. On the account of this, he saith, P. 428. We appear before God perfect in Holiness. And, P. 419, 420. Christ draws up and exhales that Impurity which Men live in, &c. and when Men are without Spot, and all fair, God falls in Love with them, &c. The Church hath no Blemish at all, no Imperfection. See more of this in Chap. Of Union.
Wherein the Difference is not.
1. It is not whether the mediatioral Righteousness of Christ (habitual, active and Passive) be a Righteousness sufficient to, and designed for the Salvation of the Elect.
2. Nor whether our Justification, and all other Benefits, when we are made Partakers of them, be the Fruits of this Righteousness, as the only meritorious Cause of them.
3. Nor whether Christ's Sufferings and Obedience were so in our Stead, that God cannot exact from us any other Atonement for Sin, or meriting Price of any Gospel-blessings.
4. Nor whether Christ, by his Righteousness, merited for all the Elect, that they should in his Time and Way be certainly Partakers of its saving Effects; and did not only purchase a conditional Grant of those Effects, viz. That Proposition, He that believeth shall be saved.
5. Nor whether, besides these Effects being made ours, the very Righteousness of Christ is imputed to true Believers, as what was always undertaken and designed for their Salvation, and is now effectual to their actual Pardon and Acceptance to Life: Yea, is pleadable by them as their Security, and is as useful to their Happiness, as if themselves had done and suffered what Christ did.
6. Nor whether Christ by his Righteousness merited and by his Spirit doth renew the Hearts of his Members, and will in time so communicate of his Grace to them, as that they shall be perfectly holy, even without Spot and Blemish.
7. Nor whether the Spots and Blemishes remaining in a godly Man, do consist with his justified State, and shall not cast him out of God's Favours. All these I do affirm.
The real Difference.
The Difference lies in these Points, 1. Whether there be a Change of Person between Christ and the Elect? yea, or betwixt Christ and Believers? This the Doctor affirms, and I deny. 2. Whether the Mediatorial Righteousness of Christ be subjectively in us? This the Doctor affirms, and I deny; though as it is in Christ, I grant it is imputed to the saving Advantages of all his Seed as much as if it were in themselves. 3. Whether we are as righteous as Christ, is a proper or safe Speech? This the Doctor affirms, and I deny; though I yield, that we are for the Sake of his Righteousness delivered from the Guilt of Sin, and entitled to Life; yea, accepted with God against all excluding Bars. 4. Whether because Christ is perfectly holy can we be said to be perfect in Holiness upon the Account of any Imputation of his Holiness to us; or are we so esteemed by God? This the Doctor affirms and I deny. 5. Whether the Elect Believer, before he is perfectly holy, is wholly without Spot, Filth and Blemish? This the Doctor affirms, and I deny; though I grant, that for the Sake of Christ, these Spots, Blemishes and Filth shall not subject them to the Curse and VVrath of God, nor forfeit saving Benefits.
The Truth Confirmed.
My designed Brevity prevents Enlargement on so many Points, and therefore I shall only glance at each.
1. There is not a Change of Person betwixt Christ and the Elect: For Christ was the Saviour, and never ceased to be so: VVe are the Saved, and not the Saviours. Christ was still the Redeemer, and never the Redeemed; we are the Redeemed, and never the Redeemers. Christ was he, who by his own Merits forgives us, but never was forgiven; we are forgiven, and never had Merits of our own to forgive our selves, or others, Eph. 5. 25, 26, 27. It's prophane Arrogance for us to pretend to his Prerogatives; and it's Blasphemy to debase him among their Number, who were Enemies without Strength; and Sinners, for whom he was the dying Sacrifice, Rom. 5. 6, 8, 10. It's enough, that he reserving the Peculiars of a Redeemer, should agree to suffer for our Sins; it's enough that we are pardoned, and adopted for his Sake, when we deserved endless VVoe and are never capable of making the least Atonement.
2. The Mediatorial Righteousness of Christ is not subjectively in us. I do not speak now of our inherent Righteousness, of which he is not only the Pattern, but also is the Cause and VVorker, Phil. 3. 9. The Discourse is only of that Righteousness which belongs to the Person of Christ, on the Account of his fulfilling the Law of his Mediation, and his Title to the Rewards promised to him as Mediator, for fulfilling that Law, which he did to every Iota. This Righteousness is accounted to be for us, and to deliver all the Elect, was the end of all his Undertakings. Nevertheless, it is not subjectively in us, because 1. It is inconsistent with the Nature of Gospel-Imputation. To impute to one what is suffered by another, is to esteem the one undertaken for in the Sufferings of the other, and to deal with him as if himself had suffered the same things; yea, and had never deserved to suffer; but it is not to judge, that he did in his own Person suffer, for that were false, and a Derogation to the Honour of him who endured the Sufferings; especially, if he freely suffered in another's Room, and for his Advantage, as our Lord did, Heb. 9. 15. Gal. 1. 4. Much less is Imputation an Infusion of Christ's Righteousness into us, or a Putting it subjectively in us.
2. The Soul in all Actings of Faith on Christ's Righteousness, ought to look at this Righteousness, as in Christ, and not in himself, who believeth, 2 Pet. 1. 1. 1 Joh. 2. 12. VVould it not be strange Language? to say, I trust for new Pardon or Comfort to the Righteousness that was once in Christ; but is now in me: in me, is the meritorious Cause of my Pardon: In me, is the Fountain, to which I must look for VVashing and Healing; not as it is in Christ, to whom I am united, but as it inheres in me as the immediate Subject of it. But the Gospel directs to look to him and be saved, Isa. 45. 22. Faith owns the Foundation of our Plea to be in Christ, from whom are derived to us that Pardon, and Right to Life, which are the Effects of his Righteousness. For this we are justified, for that Righteousness which is in Christ, we are acquitted and adopted. The efficient Merit is in him, the Effect of the judicial Absolution for that Merit is in us. The Righteousness is still in Christ, for the Sake whereof we are absolved, or justified. God hath, for Christ's Sake, forgiven us, but not for the Sake of what is in our selves, Eph. 4. 32. Had not he obeyed and suffered for us, we could not have been absolved for the Sake of his Obedience and Sufferings: And now being absolved, or made righteous in a Law Sence, we have as much Matter of glorying in him, as absolved, acquitted Sinners can have: VVe are justified by his Righteousness, that is for that we are forgiven; and also entitled to Life, which we had forfeited our selves; but we are not made Innocent, nor so esteemed; we are not accounted them who made the Atonement. VVe still take hold of (or acknowledge and approve, with Reliance on and Submission to the Terms of its Application) of Christ's Righteousness, that we by it may be forgiven; and this is our Blessedness, Rom. 4. 7. and our Gospel-Righteousness, which all such refuse who reject redeeming Love from a Conceit of their own Merits; or refuse the Terms of the Gospel, which by the Promise do make us capable of being justified and saved for the Merits of Christ. Yet these still remain, his Merits, though thus beneficial to us in their Application, as the procuring Cause of all our Good.
3. If the Mediatorial Righteousness be subjectively in us, we must grant all those Absurdities which the Enemies of Gospel-Imputation object, and the Orthodox deny. If it be in us, then we may be as truly Intercessors as Christ, and in the same Sence, viz. in the Virtue of Merits made personally ours. We have a Righteousness in us which is able to save the World, and capable of being imputed to their Justification. VVe need no Forgiveness, but are saved by the Covenant of VVorks as claiming Life by its Sanction immediately, which is inconsistent with all Remission; yea or Imputation of Christ's Righteousness, which did no way consist in Forgiveness, but in a full Satisfaction. This would denominate us Saviours from the Moment we were justified, if not before. VVhereas, we still need Pardon, and continue justified by the Efficacy of the Righteousness of another, and must look to Christ as the only Subject of it all our Days. Our justified State is a Continuance of the blessed Effects of he Righteousness of Christ from first to last. That Cause is still productive of Supplies, as our Guilt returns, or Necessities and Capacities renew or grow; but our Redemption is ever in Christ, Rom. 3. 24.
3. That we are as Righteous as Christ, is not a proper or safe Speech. It's true indeed, our Pardon and Acceptance is firm and lasting, and will no more fail us, than the Righteousness of Christ will fail; it being the meritorious Cause and Security thereof, and the Benefits can abate to none who answer the Gospel-Rule of it's Application. But yet we are not as Righteous as Christ: We are not so as to Sanctification; he being perfectly Holy, we being imperfectly so, though really Holy. And it's to be noted, That Believers are said to be Righteous in the common sence of the Scripture, on the account of Sanctification, 1 Joh. 3. 7. He that doth righteousness, is righteous: And to suppose the Elect to be as sanctified as Christ, even while they wallow in the mire, is a strange Position. But suppose the Phrase refers to Justification, yet it is not proper. For, 1. Christ is denominated Righteous, on the account of what he personally did, and suffered: He derived not Righteousness from another, but possessed it as Originally his own. He is eminently the Righteous, 1 Joh. 2. 1. whereas we are reputed righteous for the sake of what Christ did, and not for the merit of what we have done. Is it not unagreeable to hear a redeemed Sinner say, I am as worthy as he that paid the Ransom? Or a pardoned Worm say, I am as righteous as he who merited my Pardon? 2. Christ was so Righteous, as to merit the Forgiveness of all his Seed: He is so Righteous, as to make many Righteous, or safe from the Threat, and entituled to the Reward, according to the Gospel-Rule: But we cannot justifie one other Person by our being righteous: We are not righteous enough to save a Brother, Psal. 49. 7.
4. Though Christ be perfectly holy, yet his Holiness is not so imputed to us, as that We are therefore perfectly holy. This is evident: For,
1. Holiness refers to Sanctification, and not to Justification.
2. Holiness is a Conformity to the Precept, as describing what is Sin and Duty: But it refers not to the Sanction, which determines the Reward and Punishment; and so to be Holy, and to be Righteous, are distinct Conceptions. Having premised these, it follows,
3. That to be Perfect in Holiness, while we are in our own Persons Imperfect, is impossible, ungrounded, and absurd.
1. It's Impossible, being a Contradiction. To be perfectly Holy, and not perfectly Holy at the same time, are inconsistent. If any doubt whether they are imperfect in Holiness, they are little acquainted with the Law, or with themselves.
2. It's Ungrounded. I know that it will be objected, That it's so by Imputation: But the Gospel knows no Imputation of this kind; we may as well infer, That we are Omnipotent▪ and Omniscient, because Christ is so. I understand that the Promise gives to the imperfectly holy, Impunity, and Right to Life, on the account of Christ's Merits: But where hath God said he will esteem the Imperfect to be Perfect, as to what he declares them imperfect in? Or hath God ever said we are thus perfect? He may deal with a sincere Christian (who is called Perfect, in comparison of others,) as if he were perfect; having provided for his Justice and Honour in doing thus, by the Satisfaction of Christ: But he cannot account him perfectly Holy. The very Union in Marriage, doth not transfer habitual Qualifications from Husband to Wife: Is a foolish Wife perfectly wise, because her Husband is so? No, though she receives Benefit by his Wisdom.
3. It's Absurd. Our restored Holiness, is through the Operations of the Spirit, and not by Transfusion. If the very Holiness of Christ's Person be in us, it is his Increated Holiness, or Created: If his Increated, then we are Gods, and not Men; for there is nothing Increated but God: If the Created Holiness of Christ's Humane Nature be in us, it must depart from him, or cease to be in him, as far as it's derived to us; for the same individual Quality cannot be in two Subjects at once, though the same for Kind may be. If we are as Holy as Christ, what hinders us to be entituled to the same degrees of Glory and Honour as he? And all this being founded on the Change of Person between Christ and us, we may well say we are Christ's, even every elect Person severally: And if our perfect Holiness should be surmised from the Union between Christ and Believers, that indeed would not be a change of Person, but the making Christ and us one Natural Person. And then on the same grounds as we can say we are as holy as Christ is, we may say we are as much Gods as Christ, as Wise as Christ▪ as entituled to Worship as Christ; we do all that Christ doth in Heaven or Earth, and he doth all as we Sinners do; we give what he gives, and he receives what we receive; Distinction of Persons is gone, Christ and we do nothing, and are nothing as distinct Persons. A thousand such things are unavoidable Consequences.
4. Can this be reconciled to the scope of the Scriptures, wherein Believers are called to grow up in Christ? Eph. 4. 15. To perfect Holiness, 2 Cor. 5. 1. Grow in Grace? The defect of Holiness is bewailed by all the Saints, Wretched man that I am! saith the Apostle, Rom. 7. 24. I press forward, &c. Phil 3. 12, 14. that is, Oh, that I were as holy as Christ designed to make me, and as I shall be at the Resurrection! And the want and weakness of Holiness, is oft reproved by God, even in his own Children.
5. The Fifth Head to be proved, is, That Believers are not, as to Holiness, without Spot, Blemish, &c. Experience may convince of this: But I pass it by, as having occasion to speak to it in Chap. 16.
Testimonies.
The Assemlies Large Catec. puts this Question, What is the Communion in Grace which the Members of the Invisible Church have with Christ? They Answer; In their partaking of the Virtue of his Mediation in their Justification, Adoption and Sanctification, and whatever in this life manifests their Union with him. So that, in their Judgment, it's the Virtue of Christ's Mediation operates on us, and not that the Mediatorial Righteousness is in us. The Elders at the Savoy, c. 11. a. 1. say, 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 Christ's sake alone, &c. Again, they add By imputing Christ's Active and Passive Obedience unto them. The same say the Assemb. Conf. ch. 11. a. 1. Thou seest it s Christ s Righteousness is imputed for Pardon, and not infused. The Elders at the Savoy inform us also, ch. 27. a 1. All Saints that are united to Christ, although they are not thereby made One Person with him, have Fellowship in his Graces, Sufferings and Glory, &c. and have Communion in each other's Gifts and Graces. Thou findest they judge we are not One Person with Christ by our Union; and it's a Fellowship, for our good, we have by Christ's Graces, Glory and Sufferings; but they are in him, as the Subject and not in us. And ch. 19. a. 6. they declare, The Law is useful to Believers, to shew them the Corruption of their Natures and Lives. It s plain then with them▪ we are not without Spot or Blemish. The Assemb. Conf. ch. 32. a. 1. and the Elders at the Savoy, ch. 31. a. 1. agree, That it's after Death our Souls are made perfect in Holiness.
One of the Speeches condemned by the New-England Synod, was this; If Christ be my Sanctification, what need I look to any thing else in my self to evidence my Justification? To which they Answer; This Position is unsound, because it holds forth Christ to be my Sanctification, so as that I need not look to any inherent Holiness in my self; whereas Christ is said to be my Sanctification, because he worketh Sanctification in us, p. 20. & p. 63. They observe it as an Errour, That Christ is our Sanctification, in the same sort as he is our Justification. They elsewhere condemn such as made Christ the subject of our Graces: Dr. Owen, of Justification, pag. 509, 510. disowns, That it can be said we are as Righteous as Christ: And then asserts. To say we are as Righteous as Christ, is to make Comparison between the Personal Righteousness of Christ, and Our Personal Righteousness if the Comparison be of things of the same kind: But this is foolish and impious; for notwithstanding our Personal Righteousness, we are sinful; he knew no Sin: And if the Comparison be between Christ's Personal Inherent Righteousness, and Righteousness imputed to us; Inhesion and Imputation be things of divers kinds, and thus it's fond, and of no consequence: Christ was Actively Righteous, we are Passively so, &c. The Righteousness of Christ, as it was his Personally, was the Righteousness of the Son of God; in which respect it had in it self an infinite Perfection and Value: But it is imputed to us only with respect to our Personal Want; not as it was satisfactory for all but as our Souls stand in need of it, &c. From the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ, it follows only, that those to whom it is imputed, are redeemed and saved, not at all that they are Redeemers or Saviours. And pag. 242, 243. Imputation is not the Transmission or Transfusion of the Righteousness of another (viz. Christ) into them that are to be Justified, that they should become perfectly and inherently Righteous thereby; for it is impossible that the Righteousness of one should be transfused into another, to become his subjectively and inherently. And the Doctor adds; That the Righteousness of Christ is imputed to us; as unto its Effects, hath this sound sence namely The Effects of it are made ours, by reason of that Imputation: It is so imputed, so reckoned unto us of God, as that he really communicates all the Effects of it unto us: See pag. 310, 311. What can be spoken more oppositely to Dr. Crisp?
I might add Mr. Norton, of New-England, who tells us, Orth. Evang. p. 305. Though Christ obeyed the Law formally, yet it's not the formal working of Obedience, or doing of the Command, but the good Virtue and Efficacy thereof that is imputed to the Believer. What heaps of Testimonies could I produce? But I confine my self to these few.
The Ground of the Doctor's Mistake.
Because Christ suffered in our stead that the fruit of his Suffering might be our deliverance from suffering, and our being saved at last; therefore he thinks there is a Change of Person. Because we are made the Righteousness of God, that is, Partakers of Forgiveness, and a Right to Life, through Christ's Atonement for us, which be Mercies so eminently the Contrivance and Gift of God; therefore he thinks the very Mediatorial Righteousness of Christ is subjectively in us. Because we are accepted with God, for Christ's sake; therefore he thinks we have the perfect Cause of that Acceptance, viz. All Loveliness upon our selves. Because the Church is now without spot, so as for Christ's sake to be accepted, and not detested by God; and is, on the account of the beginning's of God's Image, pleasing to Christ, and will hereafter be perfectly sanctified, without the least blemish, or any such thing; therefore he thinks it's now without Blemish or Imperfection. Because Christ's perfect Righteousness is Security for our Pardon, and inviolable Right to Glory; therefore he thinks we are as Righteous as he, as to Justification and Sanctification too. Because Christ is made of God to us, Wisdom, Sanctification, &c. therefore he thinks we are as Holy as he; whereas the meaning of that place is, That Christ is appointed and given to enlighten, renew and redeem us by his Merits, and by his Spirit: If this be not the sence of it, we are as wise as Christ; for he is made to us wisdom.
Reader, Observe that the Doctor thinks all these great things are true of every elect Person, whiles in his Blood, and unregenerate state, as much as of any Believer, who indeed hath the privilege to know it.