Justification Justified, Theses · Thesis 202 – Thesis 206
CCII.
Bishop Andrews, who is universally owned to have been an excellent Scholar, and an able Divine, in his Sermon of Justification (towards the end of his Book of Sermons) writes thus. In the Scripture (saith he) there is a double righteousness set down both in the Old, and in the New Testament, in the Old Testament, and in the very first place that righteousness is mentioned in the Bible, en. 18. 10. Abraham believed, and it was counted to him for righteousness. And again in the very next line it is mentioned, Abraham will teach his house to …o righteousness. A righteousness done. In the New likewise, the former, in one chapter (even the fourth to the Romans) no fewer than eleven times Reputatum est illi ad Justitiam. A reputed righteousness. The latter in St. John 1.3, 7. He that doth righteousness is righteous. A righteousness done. The one is a quality of the party, the other an act of the Judge declaring, or pronouncing righteous. The one ours by influence, or infusion, the other by accompt, or imputation: when Christ is called Jehovah, our righteousness, that great Bishop expoundeth it of righteousness imputed: For (saith he p. 76.) The tenour of the Scripture touching our Justification all along runs in judicial terms. When we shall once be brought and arraigned before the righteous judge sitting upon the throne (which he speaks alluding to Prov. 20.8.) we shall there see that righteousness in that sense (whereby he meaneth inherent righteousness) will not abide the trial. Bring them hither then (meaning to God's Tribunal) and ask them here of this name, and never a Saint, nor Father, no not the Schoolmen themselves, but will shew how to understand it aright. In their Commentaries it may be in their Questions, and Debates they will hold hard the other: but remove them hither, they forsake it presently, and take the name in the right sense. Just and perfect Job standing here. Though I be just (saith he) I will not hold up my head (i. e.) will never plead it, or stand upon, but put up a supplication to be relieved by Jehovah, Justitia nostra. David dareth not stand here, but desireth God not to enter into judgment with him, &c. But if we must come (viz. to the judgment of God, as thither we must come all) then he will never account his own righteousness, but make mention of this name, Jehovah justitia nostra. Daniel, that man so greatly beloved, after he saw the Antient of days set down on his Throne, and the book open before him there: Not in our righteousness, Dan. 9.18. Yet was that righteousness a Jehovah, (from the Lord) but here it would not serve, he must wait for the Messias, and the everlasting righteousness which he bringeth with him. Esay, at the Vision of God sitting upon his Throne, crieth out. Woe is me, I am a man of polluted lips: Woe is me, for I have held my peace. There he seeth that the very sins of omission, and the uery sins of his lips would be enough to condemn him, though he had never in act committed any. St. Paul saith, Though I know nothing by my self, and so had Justification a Domino, I am not therefore justified: It is another righteousness, and not that, must acquit him. Yea, the very Schoolmen themselves (saith he) take them from their Questions, Quodlibets, &c. let them be in the Soliloquies, Meditations, or Devotions, and specially in directing how to deal with men in their last agony, when the Judge stands before the door, then take Anselm, take Boneventure, take Gerson, you would not wish to find Jehovah our Rightehusness better, or more pregnantly acknowledged, than in them you shall find it. And indeed, saith he, so far as concerneth satisfaction for sin, and our escaping from eternal death, the Church of Rome taketh this name aright, and now they find no such absurdity in it, that Christ his rightheousness, and merit, are imputed to us: but in the positive Justice, or that part thereof which is meritorious for reward, there fall they into a phansie that a righteousness inherent in themselves, without the righteousness that is in Christ, will serve them. The reason, saith Bellarmin, why in satisfaction for sin we need Crist's righteousness to be accounted ours is because the offence is infinite. We reason a pari. There must also be a an infinite merit, because the reward is no less infinite. Is there not as much required to purchase for us the Crown of Glory, as to redeem us from the torments of Hell? Bellarmin, after his long Disputation, taking upon him to answer a case of Conscience, whether a man might repose any trust in that which he had so long argued for, saith at last, that Propter incertitudinem propriae Justitiae, & periculum inanis gloriae, tutissimum est fiduciam totam in sola Dei misericordia reponere. That is, Considering the uncertainty of man's righteousness, and the dangerousness of vain-glory, it is most safe to repose all our confidence in the mercy of God alone. Thus far Bp. Andrews, besides several other passages which might be gathered out of his Sermon of Justification, on Jer. 23.6. which he translates thus; This is the name whereby they shall call him, The Lord our Righteousness. Plainly declaring his stedfast Judgment to have been for the Doctrine of Imputed Righteousness, and for the insufficiency of any Righteousness Inherent, as for the purpose of Justification. How much were it to be wisht that Mr. Sh. were but as Orthodox in that point, and that he had taken in his first seasoning from such sound Authors as was that renowned Bishop, rather than from Socinus, or any of his Complices.
CCIII.
The late Reverend Bishop of Gloucester in his Exposition of the Catechism of the Church of England, p. 71. hath these words. But yet full satisfaction he may plead (speaking of a Believer) The Obedience of the Son of God both Active and Passive; Active, in keeping and fulfilling every tittle of the Law; and Passive, in suffering the wrath of God due for the breach of the Law: Out of which Obedience ariseth that actual justice in Christ, that being imputed to us, in respect of that Relation in which we stand unto Christ (he and all his Elect being taken for one Body) God doth release, acquit, and discharge the guilty sinner. And p. 73. God imputing to all penitent, and believing sinners the Obedience of his own Son, and his righteousness accounts them just in his sight. No man that reads those passages can doubt that Learned Prelate (for so his works speak him) to have been positive and peremptory for the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness to Believers, and their Justification thereby, which he lays down as a Catechistical, Fundamental Truth, for writing an Exposition upon the Church Catechism, his whole business lyes with such Truths as those; Therefore in his Epistle Dedicatory to the present Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, he … these words. I though it my Duty to invoke your Lordships Patronage, and that you would be my …kler, as you haven been hitherto, against any … …ould dare to oppose these solid, and funda…tal …raths, which none will be so impudent to contradict but branded Hereticks, and hot-brain'd Ph…naticks I suppose Mr. Sh. do's not take himself to be either of those two; but you see what that Learned Prelate saith of all them who contradict the Truths asserted in his Exposition of the Catechism, which he calls fundamental, (and I am sure Justification is one of the greatest points that can be handled in any Catechism; therefore the Truths that concern that must be great Fundamentals) I say, you see what he saith of such Persons, in Thesi and it is no hard thing to reduce it ad Hypothesis.
CCIV.
Bishop Abbot, in his Defence of Mr. Perkins his book, called The Reformed Catholick, against Dr. Bishop, doth highly assert and vindicate the Doctrine of Justification by Christ's Righteousness Imputed, witness the following passages. 1. In p. 381. That our Justification and Righteousness before God standeth not in any inward virtues, or graces poured into our Souls, but in the Imputation of Christ's Obedience, and Righteousness made ours by Faith shall be proved unto him, God willing, by better Arguments than he shall be able to disprove. 2. In p. 382. he saith,
It is truly said by Mr. Perkins, that the Church of Rome in teaching justification by Works doth raze the very Foundation of Christian Faith, and maketh Christ but a counterfeit and false Christ; because, as saith the Apostle, If Righteousness be by the Law, then Christ dyed in vain, Gal. 2.21. Therefore peremptorily he denounceth, Ye are abolished from Christ, ye are fallen from Grace whosoever are justified by the Law, Gal. 5.4. 3. In p. 384. In whom (speaking of Christ) and not in our selves, we are made the Righteousness of God; that is, just in the sight of God, in that his Obedience, and Righteousness performed and wrought in our Name, and for our behoof, is imputed unto us, by Faith in his Blood. 4 In p. 388. Bp. Abbot vindicates Mr. Perkins his first reason for imputed Righteousness, viz. That which must be our Righteousness before God must satisfie the Justice of the Law, which saith, Do these things and thou shalt live. But there is nothing that can satisfie that justice of the Law but the Righteousness, and Obedience of Christ. Ergo. 5. In p. 400. he vindicates Mr. Perkins his second reason for imputed Righteousness, viz. That, As Christ was made sin for us, so we are made the Righteousness of God in him. 2 Cor. 5.21. But Christ was made sin by the Imputation of our sins, he being most Holy: Therefore a sinner is made Righteous in that Christs Righteousness is Imputed to him. 6. In p. 404. the excellent Bp. afore-said vindicates Mr. Perkins his third Reason for imputed Righteousness, viz. from Rom. 5. As by one mans disobedience, &c. whence he argues thus. As by the disobedience of Adam men were made sinners, so by the Obedience of Christ they are made righteous: But men are made Sinners by Imputation of Adam's sin unto them, Ergo. By Imputation of Christ's Justice we are made righteous. 7. In p. 413. he vindicateth Mr. Perkins his fourth and last Reason for imputed Righteousness, taken from the consent of the Ancient Church, &c. 8. In p. 422. Bp. Abbot takes upon him to defend the Answers which Mr. Perkins gave to all and every the Objections which the Papists bring against Imputed righteousness, and the Arguments for Justification by a Righteousness Inherent. Thus you see that Mr. Perkins himself was not a greater asserter of the imputation of Christ's Righteousness to believers, and their Justification thereby, than was the Learned and Excellent Bishop Abbot, whose Judgment, and Authority will weigh in the balance, against twenty such young Gentlemen, with their shels upon their heads, as he that hath taken upon him to oppose and deride it.
CCV.
Bp. Morton, in his book called, The Protestants Appeal, p. 69. plainly declareth himself for Imputed righteousness, by his quoting for the confirmation of it the following passage out of venerable Bede. Nothing can be more for our Justification by the imputed merits of our head Christ than that his Heavenly axiome, saying, the condemnation of Christ is our justification. Nothing more opposite unto the Romish justifying by Inherent perfection than (speaking of the regenerate) to say, no man shall be saved by the righteousness of Works, but by the only righteousness of Faith. Now, that by Faith there he would have us to understand the Object of Faith, viz. the righteousness of Christ which Faith takes hold of, and relatively to which Faith is said to justifie, may be gathered from a similitude which he useth, in p. 630. Yet understand, good Reader (saith he) that of as a ring of Gold wherein there is inclosed a precious Stone of some singular virtue to cure thy Disease, thou usest to say that the ring doth cure thy grief, yet not of it's own virtue, although it be of Gold, but by the power of the precious stone, which it contains; so say we, that Faith justifieth, but not by any merit, or worthiness in it self, although it be the gift of God, and a virtue Theological, but by the power and vi…tue of Christ his precious merit of redemption, the object which it claspeth, and apprehendeth.
CCVI.
The incomparable Primate of Armagh, Bp. Ʋsher, in his Body of Divinity, p. 193. and in several other parts thereof, declareth himself abundantly for the Doctrine of Justification by Christ's Righteousness Imputed.
Justification, saith he, is the Sentence of God, whereby he of his Grace for the righteousness of his Son, by him imputed to us, and through Faith apprehended by us, doth free us from sin and Death, and account us righteous unto Life. For hereby we both have a deliverance from the Guilt, and punishment of all our sins, and being accounted righteous in the sight of God by the righteousness of our Saviour Christ imputed to us, are restored to a better Righteousness than ever we had in Adam. p. 194. Thus God imputing the righteousness of Christ to a sinner doth not account his sins to him, but interests him in a state of as full, and perfect freedom, and acceptance, as if he had never sinned, or had himself fully satisfied. The matter of Justification, or that righteousness whereby a sinner stands justified in God's sight, is not any righteousness inherent in his own Person, and performed by him, but a perfect righteousness inherent in Christ, and performed for him. The Form, or being Cause of our justification, and that which makes the Righteousness of Christ so really ours that it doth justifie us is the gracious Imputation of God the Father accounting his Son's righteousness unto the sinner, and by that allowing, making it his to all effects, as if he himself had performed it. Thus far Bp. Ʋsher. Then he puts the Question. But how can Christ's righteousness be accounted ours? Is it not as absurd to say that we are justified by Christ's righteousness, as that a man should be wise with the wisdom of another? &c. Answereth it thus; no doubtless, because this righteousness is in Christ, not as in a person severed from us, but as in the Head of the Church, the second Adam, from whom therefore it is communicated to all, who being united as Members to him do lay claim thereunto, and apply it unto themselves, Rom. 5.19. Rom. 10.4. For if the sin of Adam were of force to condemn us all, because we were in his Loins, he being the head of our common Nature; why then should it seem strange that the Righteousness of our Saviour Christ, both God, and Man, should be available to justifie those that are interessed in him especially considering we have a more strict conjunction in the Spirit with him, than ever we had in Nature with Adam? And though it be not fit to measure Heavenly things by the Yard of reason, yet it is not unreasonable that a man owing a thousand pound…, and not being able to pay it, his Creditor may be satisfied by one of his Friends. In p. 196. that Excellent Prelate hath this passage So that Faith justifieth only relatively, in respect of the Object which it …astneth on; to wit, the righteousness of Christ, by which we are justified: Faith being only the Instrument to convey so great a benefit unto the Soul, as the hand of the Beggar receives the Almes.