Chap. 11. The first we have in that phrase of Justifying the Ungodly, Rom. 4. 5. for that, unless it were collative of a Righteoufnefs, would be the fame abomination with the Juftifying the Wicked, Prov. 17. 15. The fecond in that phrafe of Juftifying the Righteous, Deut.25.1. where the word (Juftifying) is not effectionis, fed æftimationis & declarationis fignificativum: the third is not fo much a part of Juftification, as a confequent of it; neither do I remember that it is called Juftification in Scripture: The first is the foundation of the other two; unless a Man be conftituted righteous, God, who is Truth it felf, cannot esteem or pronounce him fuch: for that were for him to err, which is impoffible; neither can he, who is Sanctity it self, treat him as fuch; for an unrighteous Person cannot poffibly enter into the holy Heaven, where Eternal Life is given to the Righteous.

The main Quare in Juftification is, What it is that conftitutes us righteous before God: Righteousness relates to fome Law: we are under a double Law; the one the Law of Nature or Creation, which calls for perfect Obedience in every point. The other the Law of Grace, which accepts of fincerity; we muft, if justified, be made righteous to both thefe, accordingly I fhall difcourfe of both.

We are under the Moral Law of Nature; this is immortalized by its own intrinfecal rectitude; it fo naturally refults out of the Relation which Man ftands in towards God, that as long as God is God,. the Supream Truth and Goodness, and Man Man, a Creature endued with Reafon and Will, it cannot cease to be,or to oblige: it is not imaginable, that fuch a thing as Reafon fhould be unbound to look up to the original Truth, from whence it came, or that

fuch

fuch a thing as Free-will, fhould be unbound to em- Chap. 11. brace that infinite Good which made it; this Law ftands fafter than the pillars of Heaven and Earth: it hath a double Sanction; a promise of Eternal Life upon perfect obedience, and a threatning of eternal Death upon the leaft Tranfgreffion. The promise though never abrogated by God, could not of it felf bud or bring forth Life; a Sinner,because a Sinner, not being capable of perfect obedience, could not have Life from that promife, ceffat materia. There could be no perfon capable of the promised Life; the Law was weak, though not in it felf, yet through the Flesh, the fin of Man. Man finned away the Promise, but the Threatning he could not fin away; nay, by his fin he put himself under the Curfe and Wrath of it. Sin made him a fit object and fuel for thefe; the cafe ftanding thus, how or which way fhould a Sinner be juftified as to the Law? In a Sinner there was matter enough for the Treatning, but none for the Promife. Death might justly feize him, but Life he was not capable of by vertue of that Law; here infinite Wifdom found out that which no created Eye could fpy out, a way of Juftification without abrogating the Law thus therefore it was contrived, the Law, being under the power of the Legiflator, was relaxed, though not abrogated; there may be a double notion of the Law; either it may be taken as it is in it self, in fummo apice, in its primordial rigor, requiring perfect perfonal obedience from us; and thus it doth not, cannot juftifie us; there is a Tao, an utter impoffibility upon it. Rom. 8. 3. Righteousness could not come by the Law, nay, in his fenfe it worketh wrath, it condemns and curfes the Sinner; or else it may be taken as it is by the great Tt 2

Le

Chap. 11. Legiflator relaxed, to admit of a fatisfaction in our Sponfor Jefus Chrift; and thus it hath its end, its ♪nawa, a Righteousness which satisfied it in him; thus it cannot condemn Believers: a fatisfied Law, fo far as it is fatisfied, hath nothing to fay against them who partake of that fatisfaction: That of Learned Mr. Gataker is remarkable, Juftificationoftri tum ab Evangelio,tum à Lege pendet; à Lege quatenùs eidem fatisfit delictis adversùs eam admiffis; ab Evangelio, quatenùs fatisfactio, non à nobis, fed à Chrifto Vicaria operâ pro nobis exhibetur; The Gofpel reveals fuch a Sponsor as hath fatisfied the Law for us; the Law being fatisfied cannot condemn those who partake of that fatisfaction.

pro

It appears by this, That Chrift's Righteousness is that which conftitutes us righteous as to the Law; only here many worthy learned Divines are at a difference, how it doth fo: doubtless it doth it in a way of Imputation, but the mode of that Imputation is not agreed on. Some fay, that Chrift's Righteoufnefs is the meritorious cause of our Juftification, and fo imputed to us in the effects, in that pardon which discharges us from the Law: Others, That it is it felf in fome fort imputed to us, and fo becomes the material caufe of our Juftification; I take it, our former Divines, who difputed with the Papists about Imputed Righteoufnefs, are of the latter opinion. De Fust. Hence Bishop Davenant faith, that, Ipfiffima Chrifti bab.fol. 364, obedientia nobis imputatur, quafi effet noftra perfonalis; The very obedience of Chrift is imputed to us, as if it were our perfonal Righteousness. And again he faith, that In je, it is caufa meritoria Juftificationis; but as it is apply'd to Believers, Subit vicem caufæ formalis, it is in the room of a formal caufe. 'Tis

373

true,,

true, he faith, That it is imputed to us ad aliquem Chap. 11. effectum; not that it is imputed only in the effect, but that it is imputed in a measure, and to fome intents, though not in the full latitude,or as it is in Chrift. The. Learned Profeffors of Leyden determine thus: Mirum hic videri nor debet Chrifti Juftitiam non meritoriæ folùm, fed & materialis, imò & formalis caufæ rationem habere, cum id diverfimodè fiat, nempe, quâ illud eft, propter quod, in quo, five ex quo, & per quod juftificamur: To quote no more, If Chrift's Righte oufnefs be only a meritorious caufe of Juftification, then our former Divines have striven in the dark, the Controverfies between them and the Papists in this point have been but a vain jangling; no Papift ever denied, that Chrift merited Juftification for us, no Proteftant fhould ask any more. The Council of Trent, laying down the causes of Juftification, faith, Chiftus fua fanctiffimâ Paffione in ligno Crucis nobis fuftificationem meruit, & pro nobis Deo Patri fatisfecit. Here our Divines fhould have acquiefced in filence, but furely they thought there was fomewhat more in it: For my own part,I conceive Chrift's Righteousness is fo far imputed to us, as to be the matter of our Juftification; before I come to offer my Reasons, I shall · lay down feveral things tending to explain my meaning in this point.

Firft, There is a double Imputation. The one,when a thing inherent or tranfient is imputed to the very Subject or Agent of it. The other, when it is im puted to thofe in conjunction with the Subject or Agent, as being parts and portions of him. The firft Imputation is according to the courfe of Nature, the fecond is according to fome juft conftitution made touching the fame: the former is unquestionable,,

the:

Chap. 11. the latter is that which is to be cleared, that fuch an Imputation is poffible; and when it is done, truth may appear by thefe Inftances. The primitive Righteousness of our Nature was only inherent in Adam: Yet was it imputed to us; we were by God efteemed as righteous in him, elfe we are not fallen Creatures, neither do we need any fuch thing as Regeneration. Adam's fin was an act done by him, yet is it imputed to us; it is derived down upon us as Members of him, else the want of Righteousness in us is not a privative want of what we once had in Adam, and afterwards loft in him, but a meer negative want, as being only of that we never had or forfeited: Adam's Righteoufnefs being not imputed to us, we never had it; Adam's fin being not imputed to us, we never forfeited it; fuch a meer negative want is no fin. Nay, if Adam's fin be not imputed to us, our inherent pravity is no fin; it cannot be fin in unfallen Creatures; it is no fin to be born into the World; there is no foundation in us to make it fin; and the confequence of this is, that there is no fuch thing as original fin at all in us, which to fay, is to oppofe the Doctrine of the Church in all Ages: We fee here, that fuch an imputation to thofe in conjunction is poffible, because it is actually done; and it muft needs be true,because it is done by God, who is Truth it felf, and cannot err. You will fay, It cannot be true, primitive Righteousness was never in us, we never committed Adam's fin: I anfwer, This is one thing which over-turns Religion; we are apt to reject that as falfe,which our weakReafon cannot comprehend. Is not an internal fin in the Will imputed to the Members of the Body? if not, why must the Body rise and suffer for it? if fo, fin may be imputed

to