The Doctrine of Justification by Faith, Treatise · Chapter 4
CHAP. IIII. We are not justified ever since Christs resurrection.
CHrist at his death paid the price of our redemption, and when Christ rose God did give our mediator a full discharge, yet we are not actually, and compleately justified before we believe, and are ingraffed into Christ.
S. 1. Sith Mr. Eyre doth burden Mr. Woodbridg with Arminianisine, it will be fit to cleer the doctrine we maintaine; 1. The Arminians say, that Christ died for all indiscriminatim, without distinction of elect, or reprobate: we say, that Christ died especially for the elect; so Ambrose, Christus mortuus est pro omnibus communiter, specialiter pro electis. Christ died for all after a sort, specially for the elect; in a word, Christs death is sufficient to save all, and he is to be propos'd to all as a sufficient meanes of salvation, or else we could not call men to believe on him, yet he died especially for the elect, so as infalibly to bring them so salvation: yea he did not only merit remission of sins for them, if they would believe, but he also did merit grace for them, that they should indeed in their due time believe, and persevere, and be saved. 2. We acknowledg, that they distinguish betweene the impetration of reconciliation, and the application of it, and Amel: Antisinod: P: 169. confesseth, that their is a distinction between the impetration, and application of reconciliation, yet in this they and we differ, for they conceive that though Christ by his death obtain'd reconciliation, yet so it might come to passe, that no man might have had benefit thereby. We affirme that Christ so obtaind reconciliation for the elect, that they shall infalibly obtaine it, and be saved. Againe, they will not owne that Christ merited grace, which should infalibly save the elect, we confesse it, and assert it: yet in this we differ from Mr. Eyre, we say, taht Christ then reconciled us virtually; but that we are not reconciled completely till w… believe: and if any Divines have said, that we were justified ever since Christ rose, those words must be taken not strictly and properly but in a large sense: so in Christ we have taken possession of heaven, and yet we are not actually there till we are translated out of this life: that Christ as a common person died, and rose, we grant; and that he died for the elect especially we confesse, and that he died, and rose as the head for the members, we denie not, yet we denie that the elect were justified properly and strictly, and in complete act since Christs death, and resurrection, the price of our redemption was paid at Christs death, our mediator had a full discharge for our good at his resurrection; this in due time was to save, and to justifie the elect, yet in the meane time it inheres in Christ as in it's subject, Rom. 3. 24. the redemption that is in Christ, and his blood is of force to save us in the Court of mercy, and then it doth justifie and save when we by faith are in Christ, and performe the conditions required in the Gospel. Before Christs death the elect were saved in their severall generations, because Christ was a lambe slaine from the foundation of the world, and the Court of mercy was set up as founded on Christs blood, that was in force to save, because he in Gods due time was to suffer. So after Christs death it is in force to save us in our generations, but to save us according to the tenour of the Gospel (i. e.) when we believe, and repent. I come therefore to this conclusion, That Christ paid the price of our redemption at his death, and had a discharge f…om our sins, as our Mediatour at his resurrection, yet that all the elect were not then in complete act j…stified, they had reconciliation then actu virtuali, in a virtuall act, but they have it not in complete act till they believe: and this I prove.
S. 2. A…g. 2. My fi…st Argument is taken from 2 Cor. 5. 19, 20, 21. there is mentioned a twofold reconciliation, one by Christs passion, who was made sin for us, and another we are beseeched to receive: if after the reconciliation made by Christ in …ffering up himself we are yet to be reconciled, and in the Gospel intreated to be reconciled, we are not justified ever since Christs passion and resurrection, but we are called on to be reconciled, and the Apostle adds, that Christ died, that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him.
2. Rom 5 8, 9, 10. Reconciliation and justification are distinguished, and we are said to be reconciled by Christs bloud while we were sinners and enemies; but to be justified now by Christ: So thence it followes, that we were reconciled while we were sinners and enemies, but not justified while sinners and enemies: For, to be sinners and enemies, and to be justified, are opposed, 1 Cor. 6. 10, 11. Such were some of you, but you are justified, but you are sanctified.
3. Though Christ hath merited remission of sins, yet we are called on to repentance, and to believe, that we may obtain remission of sins, but if we must re…ent, and believe, to obtain remission of sins, we are not justified before we believe and repent. We are called on to repent, and to believe, Mark 1. 15. so Christ preached the Gospel, Iohn 3. 16. Mark 16. 16. and are just…fied through f…ith in his bloud, Rom. 3. 25. and we are called on to repent, Acts 2. 38. Repent, and be baptized for the remission of sins: so Luke 24 45. repentance and remission of sins are to be practised in Christs name; but if we must believe and repent to obtain remission of sins, we are not justified before we believe, then Christ would not have called us to repentance and faith, nor taught his Apostles to preach repentance, and remission of sins.
4. Those which believe not are under wrath, Ioh. 3. 36. condemned in the law for sin, and in the Gospel for unbeliefe, Marke 16. 15. 16. He that believeth not shall be damned; therefore we are not justified ever since Christs resurrection.
Except. God hath justified them in Christ as a common person. 2. Finall …nbeliefe doth damne, not present unbeliefe.
Reply. 1. Though God accepted of Christs justification as fully meritorio…, yet he did not justifie the elect that are unbelievers. 1. For God as judge judgeth according to truth. 2. God judgeth according to the tenour of his courts.
5. An unbeliever is condemned in the court of the law for sin, in the court of the Gospel for unbeliefe.
6. Present unbeliefe leaves one in the state of damnation for the present, and finall unbeliefe seales up damnation for ever.
7. We are taught to pray to God for …giveness of sins, Mat. 6. and the godly have praid for pardon, and we must confesse our sins, and sue to God for mercy, but if we were justified ever since Christs death, and resurrection, we in these dais need not pray for pardon, nor to seek forgiveness of sins.
S. 3. I proceed to the objections.
Ob. Mr. Eyrep. 146, argues thus. They that were in Christ as a common person before they believed, were justified before they believed; but many were in Christ as a common person before they believed: Ergo many were justified before they believed.
This you prove, because Christ was justified at his resurrection, and so before many do believe in him, and sith Christ was a common person and justified, they that were represented by him, were justified.
I answer thus.
Sol. 1. Christ was justified as our M…diatour, God at Christs resurrection did discharge him, and acknowledg that he had made full paiment, and Christ in his passion and resurrection was a common person. (i. e.) stood as our mediatour, as the second Adam, and as the head of the Church, who bought it by his blood: and sith Christ was a common person, the benefit of it doth redound to the elect of God, yet not so as actually and completely to justifie them, but to be in force to justifie them according to the tenour of the Gospel.
2. Sith Christ died especially for the elect, we were in a sort in him when he died, and rose; he did so sustain the person of all the elect, as to pay a full price for their redemption; but yet they were not in Christ till they did believe, not really in Christ, nor members of his misticall body actually, and so they were not justified till they were in him by faith, and so none were justified at Christs death, and resurrection, but they that then believed on him: before Christs passion believers received remission of sins, and since his passion none have remission of sins till they believe.
M. Woodb. Christ was not justified according to the tenor of the new covenant.
3. I. Distinct. exam. i. e. Not according to the tenour of the Gospel, which offers us remission of sins, so that we believe; yet as I said, Christ as our Mediator had a discharge, but of that covenant in what followeth. Mr. Woodb. adds a distinction of justification purposed, purchased, and exemplified, which may have its use, yet Gods purpose is not in Scripture called justification; nor is our redemption by Christs death called justification, but ransome, propitiation. Christ rising, you say, was justified, and that Mr. Woodb. calls justification exemplified, i. e. as Christ rising was fully discharged, so we believing sh…ll be absolved: and so all your objections hurt him not. We presume not do to the office of a Mediator, nor do we think that Christ had any sin, nor are we our own Saviours by believing; nor doth this savour of Pelagiansim, or Socinianism, sith we acknowledge the efficacy of grace, and the merit of Christs death. Yet Mr. Eyre; I grant that Christ was a common person, and yet fear not your argument. Mr. Woodbridge adds another distinction which is more pertinent.
4. II. Distinct. We were casually and virtually justified in Christs justification, but not actually and formally, or as I noted out of Ames. we were then reconciled actu virtuali, but not actu complet…: Christ paid the price of our redemption at his death, God acknowledged this at Christs resurrection, yet we are not actually, completely justified till we believe. This distinction Mr. Eyre invades.
Insta…. 1. The formale of justification is the non-imputation of sin, our sins were imputed to Christ even to a full satisfaction, and so they could not be imputed to us. Yet Christs death doth justifie us only virtually, but the satisfaction in his death being performed, and accepted for us, doth justifie us formally; for the actuall payment of a debt is that which formally makes him that was the debter to be no debter; and therefore Christs dying for us, his reconciling us to God, and our being justified, are Eyno…ima's in the Scripture phrase: so Mr. Eyre.
Reply, and Solution. 1. We grant, that the formale of justification is the non-imputation of sin yet we must add, it is the non-imputation of sin in the Court of the Gospel, and according to the tenour of that Court, and that justifies none but believers.
2. Christ made payment, so that God requires no other payment to be made, yet God requires us to be in Christ before hee wil actually discharge us, God doth judg according to the sentence of the Gospell, and that doth discharge, but those that believe and repent.
3. If we are justified only virtually by Christs death, the Controversie is ended. I confesse that when the satisfaction is performd, and accepted, we are compleatly justified: but though it was performed and accepted for full satisfaction, yet it is not accepted for such a one, so as to justifie him actually and compleatly, till hee believe, when we believe, and are in Christ, then wee have actual interest in Christs righteousness, and then we are discharged by Gods juridical sentence.
4. Though we are said to be justified by Christs death, and to be reconciled, and redeemed thereby, yet we are never said to be justified so by his death, as to be justified before faith, or till we believe, & so the distinction stands, we were reconciled to God virtually by Christs death, but completely when we beleve.
Ob. Mr. Eyre proposeth an objection. 2. Cor: 5. 21. Christ was made sin for us that we might be made the righteousness of God in him: whence we inferre, that though Christs merits do justifie us, yet we are not justified til we belive, because there intervenes time between Christs death and our actual justification had wee then been justified, the Apostle would not have said that wee might be justified, or made the righteousness of God in him.
Except. Of Mr. Eyre. 1. That we might be, doth not signifie the finall, but the fermall cause, 2. The imputation of sin to Christ, and non-imputation of it to us, is one and the same act of God; as vers: 19. and that was before the word of reconciliation was sent, and so before faith. 3. Though the imputation of our sin to Christ, and the non-imputation of it to us have an antecedency in respect of imputation of righteousness to us, yet it is of nature only, and not of time.
Reply. 1. We grant that Christs merit is the meritorious, or materiall cause of our justification. The formall cause of justification is our obsolution, the final cause is Gods glory in the declaration of his rich mercy, and also our salvation final cause is Gods glory, in the declaration of his rich mercy, and also our salvation; but this takes not off the force of the Argument, Christ was made an offering for our sins, that so we might be justified. not that we were presently actually justified, for then the Apos…e would not beseech us to be reconciled, as Ver. 19. nor would Christ send them out to preach repentance and remission of sins, nor should we receive remission of sins, and that through faith in his blood.
2. God was in Christ by Unitie of Essence, and reconciled the world to himself, not imputing to them their tre…passes, yet the Apostle mentions a double reconcilation, Ver. 19. one obtained by Christ in paying the price of our Redemp…ion, and another which we actually enjoy when we believe, We beseech you be reconciled; and Rom. 5. reconciled when enemies, but now justified when we believe: So Joh. 3. 16. God so loved the world that he gave his Son (i. e) to obtain redemption for us; but yet that whosoever believes in him should not perish; so then God not imputes sin when Christ paid the price of ou… Redemption, God acknowledged that he had paid the full price of our redemption, and so a court of mercy was set up, yet so, that then we should be justified indeed when we have the sentence of that court to acquit and absolve us.
3. Christs meritorious death being the cause of our justification, it must be antecedent in order of nature, at least in divine acceptance, so in vers. 7. and sith we are commanded to believe that we may be saved and justified, it doth now (in ver. 7.) since his passion precede our justification in time, for many yeere intervene between his passion and our believing; as for personal clashings in …ot words between them, I omit them and go on.