Justification Justified, Theses · Thesis 208
CCVIII.
Considering how great, and manifold an interest the righteousness of Christ, which can be ours only by Imputation, has been proved to have in the business of justifying a sinner before God, their error, sin, and presumption must needs be great, who set themselves to oppose that righteousness, and the imputation of it. For it hath been proved that the Righteousness of Christ, is the material cause of our Justification, or the matter of our Righteousness before God; or that Righteousness by which, and with which, and upon the account of which believers are justified in God's sight. Also, that the Righteousness of Christ is the Meritorious cause of our Justification, or that Righteousness for which, or for the sake of which, and by the merit and desert of which, Believers have their sins pardoned, and are accepted righteous to eternal life. It hath also been proved that the Righteousness of Christ is the Formal cause of Justification, if considered as imputed, or that the imputation of Christ his Righteousness is so; not that Believers are formally righteous with the righteousness of Christ, as a wise man is formally wise by his inherent wisdome; but for that they are as effectually saved from Hell, and accepted to eternal life upon account of what Christ hath done, and suffered for them, (which I call his Righteousness) as if they had a perfect compleat Righteousness inherent in themselves (whereby they were formally righteous to the strictest sense) with which to appear before God. I have also proved the Righteousness of Christ to be the great Object of that Faith which has been said to be the Instrumental cause of Justification, and that Faith is said to justifie us only correlatively unto Christ Crucified, Christ fulfilling all righteousness for us, whose righteousness is apprehended, accepted, and applyed by Faith alone. That the righteousness of Christ is also the Procatarctical cause of our Justification, or the great cause which doth move God, ab extra (or from without himself) in opposition to the proegumenal, or inwardly moving cause, viz. the Love, and good Will of God) to justifie sinners; For thereunto is God moved by what Jesus Christ hath done, and suffered for them. Forgiving one another (saith the Apostle) even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you, Eph. 4.32. Lastly, From what hath been said may also be gathered that the exalting, or magnifying of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, or that the Infinite sufficiency, worth, and dignity of the Sacrifice and Satisfaction of Christ, and that the infinite Love and Mercy of God in providing such a Sacrifice, and such a righteousness for sinners, might be made known to the World. I say, that is one of the great Ends, or Final causes of God's justifying a believing Sinner. Witness Eph. 2.7. That in the Ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his Grace, in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus.
The righteousness of Christ being thus upon the matter all in all, in the business of Justification, not only the material, but the formal, the Procatarctical, the meritorious, the Final cause of Justification (under several notions and considerations) it will follow that they who deny Imputed righteousness, and consequently the righteousness of Christ, which is thereby intended, do lay the Ax of their Error, to the very root of the Doctrine of Justification (almost the greatest Doctrine in all Christianity) and do threaten to cut it down, both Root and Branch. For take away the Material, Formal, Meritorious, Procatarctical, Final, and Instrumental causes of Justification (for if the object of Faith, viz. the righteousness of Christ be taken away, the Act must needs cease; and so Faith, the Instrument of Justification, must fall to the ground.) I say, take away all these causes of Justification, and what will remain? Scarce so much as were the remains of Jezebel, whom when they went to bury, 2 King. 9.35. they sound no more of her than the skul and the feet, and the palms of her hands, so that (as it was Prophesied by Elijah) they shall not say this is Jezebel; that is, they should not know her to be the same; or to allude to what is said of Dagon, in 1 Sam. 5.4. And the Head of Dagon, and both the palms of his Hands were cut off upon the Threshold, only the stump of Dagon was left to him. So the opposers of Christ's imputed righteousness do leave scarce so much as a stump of the Doctrine of Justification.
And as it was said of Dagon, that he was fallen upon his Face to the ground, so the Adversaries of Imputed righteousness have laid the Doctrine of Justification flat upon its face, (as it were) so that according to them we cannot know it to be what it is, or say, This is justification. The righteousness whereby we are justified, and wherewith we are sanctified are so confounded, and made one and the same, the Covenant of Works, and the Covenant of Grace made so like each other, as to differ but in degree; one exacting a perfect, the other accepting an imperfect, sincere Obedience for our saving righteousness before God, Protestant, and Popish Doctrine so blended, or rather Protestantism (or what is so called) so conform'd to Popery, so many of the main causes of Just fication destroy'd at once; Justification so dwindled away to almost nothing to what had wont to be made of it, that we are in no small danger of becoming more corrupt than the Papists themselves in the great Doctrine of Justification: If the Enemies of Christ's imputed righteousness shall proceed at such a rate as Mr. Sh. has begun.