A DEFENCE OF THE true sense AND MEANING OF THE WORDS OF THE HOLY APOSTLE Rom. CHAP. 4. ver. 3. 5. 9 In an Answer to sundry Arguments gathered from the forenamed Scriptures, by Mr. John Goodwin: which answer was first dispersed without the author's name, but since acknowledged By Mr George Walker. Together with a reply to the former answer; or, Animadversions upon some of the looser and fouler passages thereof. By John Goodwin, Pastor of Colemanstreet London. To every time there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven, Ecclesiastes 3. 1. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. verse 4. A time to keep silence, and a time to speak. verse 7. A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. verse 8. Published by a lover of the truth and peace. Printed in the year 1641. To the Reader. Epistles of this nature, are ●●usually swelled up to their proper bulk with large commendations, either of the works, (to which they are prefixed) or of their authors, or of both. I intend to wave this custom, though having a sure foundation, and fitting materials, to build as sumptuous a structure in this kind, as others have done in the like cases. Yet think not, that this intention proceeds from an unwillingness to pay that tribute of praise, which is justly due to the name of any man: I acknowledge the equity of the Apostles precept, Romans 13. 7, 8. to render honour to whom honour doth belong: it comes rather from an indisposition, publicly to meddle in this great controversy, (wherein the whole world stands engaged) viz to whom this golden apple is to be given; on whose head this crown of honour is to be set. Whom o●e man approves, another dislikes; whom a third doth reverence, a fourth disdains: and such is our weakness, and partiality in judging, that no perfect agreement can be expected, till the Romans 2. 5, 6. revelation of the righteous judgement of God, who shall render to every man according to his deeds. I shall not therefore endeavour to steal away the heart of any man, after the author of the Reply, or his opinion, by speaking high and excellent things of him: all that I will say, is only this, I wish him as much honour and respect from the world, as he is worthy of, which (I am persuaded) is more than he looks for, and as much as his greatest adversary can justly challenge: but to give in the full estimate, or precisely to set down, what is his due above his fellows, I am unwilling, but far more unable; yet something I could do this way, and I can hardly resist the strength of my provocations hereunto, but I forbear; not that I dread Mr. Walker's thunderbolts, to be censured by him as a rude impudent, Socinian sectary: but because I desire that Mr. Godwin's reputation might be raised in none, by any other engine, then by a real and evident conviction of his deservings: for though to think well of those we know not, is counted charity; yet to applaud, and admire any, upon no surer ground than the general vote, is folly, and may prove dangerous: the womb of our times hath been too abundantly fruitful with instances herein many have we seen cast upon perplexing inconveniences, and some yoked with desperate errors, and that by those whose persons they have ignorantly wondered after And I am persuaded, that many tenants in religion (which are now confidently given, and greedily received as wholesome food) would hardly down, were they not wrapped up in the sweet fame of such or such men's names. I would not that Truth herself were entertained upon such terms: certainly she accounts none her true subjects, but those only, who are brought under her sceptre, by the love of her commanding beauty; not by the parts, learning, holiness of her choicest agents. Concerning the Reply (here presented to thy consideration) I gather thus much from the authors Vid Preface. words: that it was a work of recreation, not of labour; and therefore no marvel, if it came into the world with a smiling countenance: and though in this respect, it may be judged by some unlike its father, who is of a wonderful grave and sober temper; yet upon a strict view, many of his lineaments are to be seen in the face of it; I mean, soundness of judgement, quickness of wit, fairness of carriage, yea and mercy too towards his adversary: for had he struck him in every place, where he found him naked, he had left him so black and blue, that even Mr. Walker's friends would hardly say, this is he. If any shall except, against the manner of managing this warfare, and censure his expressions as too light, to hold out with the weightiness of his matter; I refer such for satisfaction to his own preface. As far as I understand, no wiser course can be taken, to charm down the spirit of anger into soberness, then to deal with it in a pleasant way: whether Mr. Walker doth strongly sympathy with this turbulent passion, none will question, but such as are strangers to his dealings: and I verily believe, when the author put his Reply into this dress, he had respect to him alone, to whom he privately sent it, not once deeming (as I conceive) that ever it should be looked upon by so many, and such judicious eyes, as it is now likely to fall under. For it is probable, that neither he nor Mr. W. when first they joined their heads and pens together for the framing of these Tracts, intended to scatter them abode by the hand of the press. Indeed Mr. Walker when he received the Reply, promised the messengers to print both that, and his own Answer; which had been fair, and worthy the man, he would be taken to be. But wh●le the performance thereof was expected, he brings into the world, a confused medley of the strangest socinianism and Christianism, that was ever heard of. By what figure he will be able to salve the breach of his promise, I cannot guess; though he hath forced them to do him service (as he conceives) elsewhere, yet I much fear they will here all fail him: for through the whole comp●sse of that his discourse, I can here nothing of the R●ply; I confess he only mentions a scrurrilous libel fraught with lies, forgeries, absurdities, contradictions, blasphemies, sent forth under the name of a Reply: but I can hardly persuade myself that he would so far abuse the world, as to make it believe, that by this libel he means Mr. Godwin's Reply. But if his passion so far transported him beyond his intellectuals, as to charge so innocent a piece with such capitol crimes; I pity the man; and expect its discharge from the hands of such as are not infested with so mortal an enemy unto reason. Nor hath he kept touch with his promise about his own answer: for though the most part hereof may be gathered from thence, yet is it made so unlike to what it was, by adding some thing, and subtracting others; that in consideration hereof, it was thought requisite, to print it in that very shape, in which it came at first from between his hands, (for to this alone hath the Reply reference) and to couple both it and the Reply in one volume. I am conscious of no other design, that the publisher propounded to himself, but only this: to clear the Reply and the author of it, from those false and foul imputations of lying, forging, etc and to wash off from the face of that truth, they plead for, those black colours of Socinianism, and Arminianism, which Mr. Walker's pencil hath drawn over it; that appearing to the eye of the world out of his clothing; their innocency might be acknowledged in the judgements and consciences of reasonable men. The accomplishment of which design, will (I dare say) satisfyingly recompense his cost and labour; and enlarge his heart towards the God of peace and truth, who hath given success to so just, so pious, so commendable an undertaking. Farewell. AN EPITOME OF Mr. Walker's Answer. OR A special receipt by a modern Divine against the Dangerous infection of an Orthodox Truth. REcipe 21. folios or leaves of papyrus, as close written as may well be read. Sosinus and Arminius well beaten together, and strained through a course boulter of an English discourse: A handful of good Scriptures carelessly gathered, and well steeped in the standing water of a new laid interpretation. Add hereunto two or three Hebrew roots: of reading a sufficient quantity: of Learning about a third part: Of the herb called {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} in Engling lack-love, 6 leaves (at the least) of black tongue-wort some fifteen slips: of tropes and metonymies gathered where they never grew as many as you can come by: of the drug called diabolico-pseudo▪ lobetico 12 ounces: of the simple called insultory or assafetidea as much: of the sweet and savoury herb discretion, half a scruple. Let all these be made up into the body of a discourse and swallowed down without chewing upon a full stomach, and take heed of drinking any sound interpetation after them, and there is little fear that the truth will ever do you any harm. Probatum est. Reader, if thou hadst rather take a little pains, then be angry; I desire thee to relieve the Printer with thy pen, and to reform thy book, before thou readest it, according to these subsequent directions. In the Preface. Page 9: line 5. for, serapp. r. scrap. p 11 l. 1. for, present, r. pleasant. l. 18. for, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. p. 12. l. 25. for, passages r. pages. p. 13. l. 13. for, discrology, r. aischrology. l. 14. for, messenger, r. messengers. l. 15. for, magnificant, r. magnificent. In the discourse. p. 6. l. 31. for corponeris, r. còmponens p. 8. l. 29. for opinion any, r. opinion, that any. p. 13. l. 13. for, Divinity (who, r. Divinity at Leyden (who. ibid. for, of judgement, r. of that judgement. p. 15. l. 22. for, urge a little, r. urge. A little. p. 20. l. 10. for, defended, here, r. defended, &c. Here. l. 18. for, word, discourse, r. wordie disco●se. l. ult. for, too, r. to. p. 22. l. ult. for, misperisiar, r misprision. p. 26. l. 13. for, our, r. own. p. 29. l. 27. for, no satisfaction, r. no such satisfaction. p. 32. l. 15. for, this is, r. is this. p. 33. l. 27. for, first. r. fullest. p. 34. l. 20. for, saith further, r. saith he further. p. 37. l. 24. for, skill, r. still. p. 40. l. 33. for, promises, r. premises. p. 43. l. 2. for, justification, r. or free justification. p. 47. l. 9 for hihobular, r. triobular. p. 48. l. 19 for, black, in so, r. so black and. p. 55. l. 26. for, neighbours, r. neighbour. p. 59 l. 33. for, me, r. men. p. 65. l. 25. for, contradiction, r. contradictions. p. 70. l. 2. for, belived, r. believing. p. l. 10. for, not for, r. not of us for. p. 74. l. 2. for, to speak, r. to speak to. p. 86. l. 12. for, interpres, r. interpretess. p. 95. l. 37. for, censured, r. conceived. A DEFENCE OF THE true sense AND MEANING of the words of the holy Apostle ROM. 4. v. 3. where it is said, that Abraham believed GOD, and it was counted to him for righteousness: and v. 5. to him that believeth his Faith is counted for righteousness: and v. 9 for we say that Faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. THE true sense and meaning of the holy Apostle in these speeches, according to the common judgement of the most godly, learned, and judicious Divines of the best Reformed Churches, is this; That upon Abraham's believing the Promise of God, that God would be his shield, and exceeding great reward; and that God would raise up out of his loins the blessed Seed (Christ the Redeemer;) in whom all the Elect and faithful of all Nations being gathered unto God, and by one Spirit Baptised, and united together into one spiritual body with him their spiritual head; and made lively and sensible partakers of his perfect obedience, righteousness, and full satisfaction for redemption, remission of sins, justification and perfect salvation should become Abraham's faithful seed, and partakers of the same reward, and should we more seek the reward of blessedness, by the righteousness of their own works, performed according to the tenor of the Law in every man's own person, but in the Lord Jesus Christ who is the Jehovah Zidkenu, the Lord our righteousness, and God. the lot and portion of every true believer; upon Abraham's believing of the promise, and firmly without staggering applying to himself this blessing promised, and upon his full persuasion that God who promised out of his free grace, was by his power able to perform though he by course of Nature, and by reason of the deadness of Sarah's womb, seemed and indeed was uncapable of that blessing; God the Lord counted this to him for righteousness, that is, accepted and accounted him for a righteous man, as indeed he was not for any works of his own, or by any righteousness performed in his own person according to the Law, but by the righteousness of faith; that is, the righteousness of Christ apprehended and applied by Faith, for being thus justified by faith, and having this Communion with Christ of his full satisfaction and righteousness, God becomes in Christ our shield and exceeding great reward. The Corrupt exposition of the Apostles words, by the heretic Socinus, and his followers the Arminians, and other fanatical Sectaries. THey all hold and obstinately affirm, that Abraham's believing and his faith (taken in a proper literal sense without any trope) was counted to him for righteousness instead of all righteousness, which either Abraham himself in his own person, or any surety in his own person, or any surety in his behalf, could perform to the Law of God; And upon these words thus wrested; they build all their heretical Doctrines and opinions, concerning justification of the faithful before God, to wit; First, that faith as it is in every believer a gift of God, even as it is inherent in him, and is his own faith and believing, is the only thing which God of his grace and mercy, and out of his absolute sovereign power, and dominion is pleased to ordain, appoint, and account for all the righteousness which a man shall have for his justification, though in truth and in strictness of the Law, and according to the rule of justice it is no righteousness; being weak oftentimes and full of infirmities. That the spirit of God by the Apostle in these words, did 2. not intend or mean any of the Communion of the righteousness and perfect obedience performed by Christ to the Law as our surety and in our stead, nor any imputation of that righteousness to every true believer for justification, nor Gods accepting of the faithful for righteous by their communion of that righteousness applied, possessed, and enjoyed by faith. By faith and believing they do not understand that 3. gift and work of God's spirit in the elect regenera●e, and sanctified, by which they do believe and are persuaded that they are in Christ, and Christ is their head, and they as members have communion of all his benefits, even of his full satisfaction and perfect righteousness for remission of all their sins, and for justification; and by this persuasion and believing they have a sweet and lively sense, feeling and fruition of Christ's satisfaction and righteousness, and rest on them as on the covering and propitiation of their sins, and their righteousness by which they stand righteous before God and are justified; but by faith and believing they understand no more but a confidence in God: that he will perform his promises made in Christ, and an assent unto his word that it is true; the tenor of which word and promises they conceive to be this, that Christ in his pure perfect human nature, by his righteousness, sufferings and obedience unto death, hath merited such high favour with God, that God in honour to him, is pleased to accept and account the faith of them that believe him to be a sufficient Saviour, for righteousness, and requires no other righteousness to constitute them, and make them after any sort formally righteous in their justification. When they acknowledge that Christ his perfect satisfaction and righteousness, is the meritorious cause of 4 our justification, they do not mean, that Christ his satisfaction and righteousness are communicated to us, and by faith so apprehended and possessed that we thereby are indeed, and in God's account righteous before God and are justified, and they deserve that he should so account us for them, but this is their mind and meaning that Christ by his righteousness, and obedience, hath merited that God for his sake should account faith to us for righteousness; without either our own works of the Law, or his righteousness imputed to us, and made ours by communion, and when they say, faith is imputed for righteousness as an instrument: they mean not as the spiritual hand or instrument, applying Christ his righteousness, to be after a sort the formal righteousness of the believer, but that faith as it is the instrument by which the believer doth believe that Christ hath purchased this favour, that faith should be the only thing accounted to him for righteousness. The orthodox Exposition I will prove and confirm from the words of the Apostle himself; and other strong Arguments in the first place; and afterwards will confute and overthrow the heretical Exposition. The true Exposition defended. FOr the right understanding of the Apostles words, three things are first to be considered and explained: First, what is here meant by faith and believing. Secondly, what righteousness is here meant. Thirdly what is meant by imputation. By faith in this place we must not understand that natural habit, and power which is common to all reasonable men, who upon their knowledge of things spoken or promised, do give willing assent unto them that they are true, either for the Authority of the speaker, whom they do respect and judge to be faithful: or because they see good reason in the things spoken and promised, and if the things promised tend to their own good, they rest upon them confidently, and persuade themselves that they are sure and certain of them already, or shall receive and enjoy them in due time without fail. But here, by faith we are to understand that supernatural gift and grace of believing wrought in the elect, regenerate by the spirit shed on them abundantly through Jesus Christ, Tit. 3. 6. which is therefore called most holy faith, Jude 20. this faith agreeeth with the other in these four points. First, as that is an habit and power of believing, so 1 is this, secondly, as that contains in it, notitiam in 2 intellectu, a knowledge and notice of the things spoken & believed; so doth this; And as that contains in it assensum in voluntate an assent of the will, so doth this also; And 3 as that faith when it goeth no further is called historical; so this also: And as that faith when it reacheth to good 4. things promised to ourselves particularly, to apply them and rest on them, hath also fiduciam in corde & affectionibus, a trust and confidence of the heart and affections in it; so hath this also, and is called a firm persuasion, trust, confidence; but they differ in divers things. First that is a natural power or habit. This is spiritual, wrought in men by the Spirit of God, dwelling in them and uniting them to Christ in one mystical body. Secondly that hath in it no knowledge but natural arising from light of natural reason, nor any assent of the will or confidence in the heart and affections; but such as are drawn, stirred up, and wrought, by means of natural light and common causes; this hath in it a spiritual knowledge arising from the spirit of God, enlightening the understanding; the Spirit also inclines and moves the will to give assent, and confirms the heart with confidence and firm persuasion. Thirdly that is common to all reasonable men; This is proper to the elect, regenerate, and sanctified by the holy Ghost shed on them through Christ; and is the first and the radical grace and virtue of renovation. 4. That hath for the object or things believed, either natural and worldly things only, or things heavenly and supernatural, seen and discerned through the dark mist of natural reason and assented to, & rested on with a carnal and unsanctified will and heart. This hath for the object, things supernatural, and heavenly and spiritual, discerned by supernatural light, assented to with an holy and sanctified will: confirmed to the heart by a spiritual sense: and sweet taste of the things promised, wrought by the holy Spirit in the true believer, apprehending and applying them. But to come near to the Text, the believing which the Apostle speaks of in the 3. verse, and also in the 9 and 22. verses, is the faith and believing of Abraham, who divers years before this believing which is said to be counted to him for righteousness, was called out of his own Country: and by faith obeyed God's calling, and went and so●ourned in the Land promised to him and his seed, as appears Heb. 11. 8. 9 he had overcome and slaughtered four mighty Kings, and their victorious arm●es by faith and confidence in God's promises; an●Melchizedeck King of Salem the Priest of the most High God, had blessed him (as we read Gen. 14.) and after th●se things the Lord appeared and spoke to Abraham and said, fear not, I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward, and withal he renewed his promise of the blessed seed, by means of which seed all the families of the Earth should be blessed in Abraham, and should become his faithful children; besides his natural seed and posterity which should come of the son and heir of his own bowels, as appears Gen. 15. 1. 4. These were the promises which God made to Abraham, and which Abraham believed to be true, and resting upon the Lord by firm faith and belief for the performance of them, the Lord counted it to him for righteousness, Gen. 15. 6. or, as the Apostle expresseth the same sentence in the same sense, though in words somewhat different, it was counted to him, verse 5. even faith was reckoned to him for righteousness, verse. 9 Now this faith and believing was first an holy spiritual belief: and the faith of a man long before called of God, and sa●ctified by his Spirit, and made obedient to God and his word. Secondly, It was a belief not only of the promise of Christ the blessed seed in general; but more specially that Christ according to the flesh, should come out of his own bowels, and that by Christ the son of God made man of his seed, the redemption both of him, and of all his faithful seed, that is, all true believers should be wrought and performed, God's wrath appeased, the Law fulfilled, Justice satisfied, perfect righteousness brought in for their justification, and by his and their union with Christ by one spirit, and Communion of all his benefits, they should have God for their portion and reward, for their shield and defence and should not need to seek the blessing, and reward of eternal life from their own works, or their own righteousness; and fulfilling of the Law in their own persons, but merely from the free grace of God, and of his free gui●t in Christ, as a reward of Christ's righteousness freely given to them, and of them apprehended by faith and believing. Thirdly, this faith of Abraham was not a weak, but a strong faith, and belief without staggering, even a full persuasion, that God who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not, as if they were, and was able to make good, and to perform what he had promised; yea it was a believing in hope against hope; that God could out of a dead body and womb raise up a lively seed, and make them spiritually righteous: who are by nature and according to the Law wicked sinners. All these things are manifest by the places before cited, Gen: 15. and by the express words of the Apostle in this chap: from the tenth verse to the end of the Chapter. And thus you see what is meant by faith which is here said to be counted for righteous. Secondly, the righteousness here meant is not the righteousness which is according to the strictness and tenor of the Law; that is, righteousness of a man's own works, performed by every man in his own person to the Law of God; for the Apostle doth dispute altogether against that righteousness and proves, that neither Abraham was justified or counted of God righteous for it, as appears in the 2. 5. 6. 13. verses, nor any other at any time, as appears in the Chapter before. And Chap. 8. 3. and 9 32. 10. 3. But here is meant an evangelical righteousness, which doth not consist in any work or works performed by a man himself in his own person, nor in any grace or virtue inherent in himself, but is a righteousness which God of his own free grace doth impute to the true believer; who by one Spirit is united to Christ, and hath communion with him, and is called the righteousness of Faith, and doth exclude legal justification, by righteousness of a man's own works, as appears in the whole discourse of the Apostle in this and the former Chapter, and in diverse other places of this Epistle, especially ver. 13. of this 4 Chap. and in Chap. 3. 27. 28. Thirdly, the phrase of imputing, or counting a thing to one signifies both in the Old and New Testament, an Act of judgement and estimation, by which a thing is judged, esteemed, reckoned, and accounted to be as it is indeed, and then it is just, and according to truth: but when a thing is counted, or judged, thought, and esteemed, to be as it is not, than it is unjust, and not according to truth. Now God's thoughts are always just, and his judgement is according to truth. Rom. 2. 2. And therefore a lust imputing and counting, is here meant, for God doth account, and judge of all persons, and things, so as they are. Of unjust counting, and imputing fal●ely, we have some examples in Scripture, as 1 Kings 1 21. where Bathsheba saith to David I and my son Solomon shallbe counted offenders that is, usurping Adonijah and his wicked Company, will so esteem and judge us: of reputing, and coun●ing truly as the thing is, we have examples also, as Nehemiah 13. 13. where it is said of the chosen Levites, that they were counted faithful, viz upon former experience of their faithfulness, and therefore the Office of distributing to the●Brethren, was counted to them. And Levit 17. 4. ●here it is said, Blood shall be imputed to that man he hath shed blood, and shall be cut off from among his people. And Psal 22. 30. a s●ed shall serve him, it shallbe counted to the Lord for a generation. Moreover, this word impute or count, signifies sometimes in the most proper sense a bare Act of the judgement and thought, as Pro. 17. 28. where a ●oole is said to be counted wise when he holdeth his peace; that is, men for the present judge or think him wise, at least in that point of silence. Sometimes it signifies in a more full sense, not only thinking, judging, and counting persons to be good or bad, just, or unjust, innocent, or guilty; but also dealing with them, and using them accordingly, as in the places before named, 1 Kings 1. 21. Nehem. 13. 13. and Levit. 17. 4. and Psal 22. 30. also 1 Sam. 2●. 15. where Abimelech purging himself before Saul, from the offence of conspiracy with David against him (as Doeg had falsely accused him) saith, Let not the King impute any thing unto his servant, that is, Let him not think or judge his servant guilty, nor deal with him, or use him as a conspirator. Sometimes it signifies by a metonymy of the cause for the effect, condemning, and punishing an offence in a guilty person as he hath deserved, and to deal with him and use him as he is justly thought and judged to have deserved, as 2 Sam. 19 19 Shimei said, Let not my Lord impute iniquity unto me: he doth not desire that David would not think, nor judge, nor count his iniquity to be no iniquity, that had been against all reason, but that for the satisfaction which he had made, in coming first of all to the house of Joseph to meet David, and to bring him again to his kingdom, David would graciously pardon his offence, and not proceed against him, and punish him as justly, and worthy of punishment. Sometimes it signifies by a Metaphor, to count one thing as it were another, or no better than another, or of the same value, as Prov. 27. 14. where a flattering salutation or blessing, given with a loud voice, is said to be counted a Curse, that is, esteemed no better than if it were a Curse. Sometimes to use one, as if he counted him of another Condition, as Gen. 31. 15. where it is said of Laban, that he counted his daughter's strangers; that is, used them as if he had counted them strangers: and Iob. 31. 10. where Job saith, that God counteth him for his enemy; that is, afflicteth, and plagueth him, as if he counted him an enemy. Sometimes the word signifies to score up or to put upon a man's account or reckoning, either the offence or debt which he himself runs into; as Rom. 5. 13. where it is said, that sin is not imputed when there is no Law: that is, it is not ●o skored up, that men are punished for it, and it is not judged and punished in them, or the debt which he takes upon him for another: as Philemon verse 18. If he hath wronged thee, or is indebted to thee put that on mine account, that is, impute and count it to me, and set it on my score. Now the several significations of the several words being thus laid open, I proceed more particularly to the true sense and meaning of every word in these speeches, and to show how far the speeches may be extended. And first, by Faith, and believing which is counted to every true believer (and was counted to Abraham) for righteousness. I understand here (according to the judgement of the most Orthodox Divines) the true holy spiritual faith, and belief, which is before showed to have been in Abraham, and which is proper to the elect regenerate, and is said to be imputed to them for righteousness: B●righteousnesse is here meant Evangelical righteousness, (which is opposed to the legal righteousness of works, which is inherent in every man, and is every man's fulfilling of the Law in his own person) even the perfect satisfaction and righteousness of Christ, (God and man) ●u●mediator and surety which he the Son of God, in man's Nature performed to the Law, and which is apprehended by every true believer, and applied to himself by a lively saith and whereof he hath communion and is truly made partaker by his spiritual union with Christ, of whose mystical body he is a member, being B●ptized and engraf●ed thereinto by one Spirit. By the imputing and counting of that faith for righteousness to Abraham, and to every one of his faithful seed, is here ment God's setting of Christ's righteousness on the score, and putting it on the account of every tru●beleever, and and his j●dging, esteeming, and counting them no more guilty of sin, but perfectly righteous by that Evangelical righteousness, which is called the righteousness of God. 2 Cor. 5. last ver. because it is the righteousness of God, performed in our Nature, and the righteousness of faith, and not of works, because the faithful obtain, and enjoy, and apply it by believing, and not by working the works of the Law, Rom. 4. 11. 13. For the confirmation of this exposition, and justifying of this truth, we need seek no further Arguments, but such as may be gathered from the Apostles own words, as in other of his Epistles, so especially in this to the Romans. The first argument is drawn from the words of the Apostle in the second chap: of this Epistle, verse 26. where this word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} (as it signifies) to be imputed or counted, is first used; If (saith he) the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the Law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for Circumcision? by uncircumcision (in the first clause) we cannot understand the foreskin of the flesh not cut off, it is most absurd, and against common sense and reason to think or to suppose that it can or could perform and keep the righteousness of the Law, but by uncircumcision is meant a Gentile not circumcised, as Beza, (the most learned, judicious, and accurate Critik and searcher out of the sense of everyword and sentence in the new Testament) doth expound the word, and so we have in this word a metonymy of the a●janct for the Subject: The same word in the second clause (as B●za also well observes) doth not here signify the foreskin or uncircumcision in a proper sense (for that cannot but most falsely be reputed and counted for circumcision; because they are contradictories one to another) but the state and condition of him who is uncircumcised, even the outward state of gentilism; and here is another metonymy of the same kind, even the sign put for the thing signified, yea it signifies not the state of a Gentile or uncircumcised man barely considered in itself, but as comprehending in it the righteousness of the Law, which the man uncircumcised hath kept and performed in that state, as the words necessarily imply; for the Apostle doth not here suppose only uncircumcision, but the observation of the righteousness of the Law in the state of uncircumcision; and so here is a Metalepsis or double trope, even a metonymy also of the thing containing for the thing contained, that is, of the Subject for the adjunct, and also of the cause for the effect; that is, the man in the state of uncircumcision keeping the righteousness of the law, for the righteousness of the law by him performed. By circumcision we cannot understand the outward cutting away of the foreskin of the flesh, neither ●aken literaly and carnally, as the corrupt Jews did take it, for a work of righteousness and obedience to the Law for justification, so it was an obligation, by which the circumcised was bound under pain of cutting off for ever to perform the whole Law, as appears Gal. 5. 3. And for a righteous Gentile to be brought under this bondage was no benefit, but a miserable condition; neither can circumcision be here taken sacramentally, as it was an outward sign and seal of the righteousness of faith, and of Mortification, and of all virtues of holiness by which men are sanctified to God and become his peculiar people, for Ishmael, Esau and all the profane persons of Israel circumcised, were partakers of the outward sign and Sacrament of circumcision, and yet were destitute of t●e inward Grace signified; And in neither respect can uncircumcision, or the person uncircumcised, nor Gentilism●, together with the keeping the righteousness of the Law be counted truly for circumcision, nor reckoned in the place of it; But here by circumcision is meant the circumcision of the hear in the Spirit, and not in the Letter, for so the Apostle doth expound himself verse 29. the (word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} shall be counted) signifies here in a full sense judging, counting approving, accepting and using accordingly. Now all laid together the meaning of the Apostle in these words is this, that if a man uncircumcised do keep all the commandments, and perform the righteousness of the Law, his state of gentilism comprehending in it the righteousness of the Law, shall be counted and accepted for the state of an holy and righteous man circumcised in heart, and he though uncircumcised in flesh, and a Gentile in outward estate, shall be counted of God a true Israelite without guile, truly circumcised with inward spiritual circumcision of the heart in the spirit, whose praise is not of men, but of God. This sense and meaning of the words, and of this phrase is so clear and manifest, and so perfectly agreeable to all true reason, that none can deny it, unless he will set himself to rebel against the light; and this phrase being the same which this Apostle doth use again, where he mentions counting and imputing of faith and believing for righteousness to Abraham, and to every true believer, doth give light for the discovering of the true sense and meaning of the words, the phrase being the very same. Wherefore if we will follow the Apostle himself, and tread after him in the same steps, being the surest guide, and best expounder of his own words and meaning, we must by Abraham's believing by a Metalepsis or double trope, with our learned Divines, understand Abraham standing in the state of a true believer, united by one spirit unto God in Christ, and having communion of his satisfaction and righteousness, which were of force from the beginning to save and justify, and to make God the reward of the believer. And by faith imputed or counted for righteousness, we must not understand faith in a proper sense, but by a double trope, for the state and condition of a true faithful man, and for that which faith comprehends and includes in it, even the perfect righteousness and full satisfaction of Christ God and man: By righteousness we must understand the state of a man justified, or Evangelical righteousness communicated to the justified man, and made his for justification. And by counting and imputing we must understand the accepting, approving, esteeming & judging of Abraham, and every true believer, so soon as he appears faithful to be in the state of a man justified, and God's setting on his score, and counting, & imputing to him being faithful, the righteousness of Christ apprehended by faith, which is indeed and in truth made his by spiritual union and communion with Christ. Hear then the true paraphrase upon the Apostles words, showing the true sense and meaning of them, Abraham upon a true inward spiritual sense of his union and communion with Christ, did believe and was surely persuaded that God was his reward, and this his belief and faith comprehending Christ for righteousness, and containing in it after a sort the righteousness of Christ, God counted it to him for righteousness; that is, set it on his score, and reckoned it to him for justification, and judged, esteemed and accepted him for a man truly righteous, as indeed he was, and so whosoever doth not rest on his own works for justification, nor seeketh thereby to be justified, but by faith seeketh that righteousness which makes him righteous by the communion of it, when in himself by nature he is ungodly, his faith comprehending in it Christ and his righteousness, is counted for righteousness, because it settles him in the state of a righteous man; and God's setting on his score Christ's satisfaction and righteousness, doth accept him for a man justified. A second argument confirming the exposition is drawn from the Apostles own words in the fourth verse: now to him that worketh, the reward is not reckoned of grace, but of d●bt, whereby it is manifest that the thing counted for righteousness brings with it a reward, also to the believer which is counted, not of debt, bu●…grace, now there is nothing which can bring the reward of eternal life, and Glory to a believer, when it is counted to him and set on his score, but the perfect righteousness and satisfaction of Jesus Christ; that, all grant to be meritoribus of eternal life to all that are partakers of it, and because the communion and imputation of it is of God's free grace, and the faith by which we receive, apply and enjoy it, is God's free gift, therefore the reward, to wit, eternal life is of free Grace, and not of debt, as the Apostle here saith. Whereupon the the Conclusion follows, that the thing counted for righteousness is the righteousness of Christ apprehended by faith. Thirdly, in the 6. and 7. verses the Apostle teacheth expressly; that the thing imputed by God is righteousness; and such a righteousness, as being imputed, brings forgiveness of iniquity, and covers sins, and so makes the believer blessed. Now there is no righteousness to be found among all mankind, besides Christ's perfect righteousness and full satisfaction; and that is a perfect propitiation for all sins, and an expiation of all iniquity to them who by faith have put on Christ, therefore it is the true righteousness which is imputed to every believer for justification. Fourthly, that which is here said to be imputed to Abraham, and to every believer, is for righteousness to justification, for the discourse of the Apostle here, and in the 3. and 5. chap. is altogether of justifying, as appears chap. 3. verse 20. 24. 26. 28. 30 and also chap. 5. 1. 16. 18, 19 in all which places he mentions justification and justifying; And here in this 4. chap. he brings Abraham's example, and David's testimony to show how we are justified: now there is nothing which doth serve to us for righteousness to justification, but that which is found in Christ our mediator, even his righteousness and perfect fulfilling of the Law; so this Apostle doth plainly affirm and teach chap. 5. 19 and chap. 8. 3. 4. and Chap. 10. 3. 4. Therefore this righteousness is upon the true believing of Abraham, and the faithful counted and imputed to them, and set on their score for their justification. Fiftly, that exposition of a phrase or speech of Scripture, which is warranted by other places of Scripture, wherefore that phrase is used, is to be judged the best exposition; this none can with any reason deny, for the Spirit of God speaking in Scripture, is the best expounder of his own meaning. Now this exposition, that imputing or counting a thing for righteousness, is no more but declaring a man thereby to be righteous, and giving him the Testimony of righteousness, is warranted by other Scriptures wheresoever it is used. Therefore this is to be judged the best exposition. For confirmation of the assumption or minor we have that place of holy Scripture, Psal. 106. in which only and nowhere else, a thing is said to be imputed or counted to a man for righteousness; viz. Phineas, his godly zealous act of executing judgement on Zimri, and C●sbi, than Phineas stood up (saith the Psalmist) and executed judgement, and that was counted to him for righteousness, now no man can understand, that this act was accepted of God for righteousness to justification, for then a man may be justified before God by one godly and zealous act of his own, which is that which the Apostle utterly condemneth for a gross error, and bends his whole discourse against it. The true sense and meaning of this phrase is no more but this, that Phineas performing such a godly zealous act, as is proper to a faithful righteous man only, who hath the Spirit of regeneration, and of sanctification dwelling in him: uniting him to Christ, and making him by faith a true partaker of 〈◊〉 righteousness, God upon this act gave him the Testimony of righteousness: and declared him to be a righteous man truly justified. Therefore the phrase of imputing or counting faith for righteousness, signifieth no more but this, that the true believer is counted a righteous man, and God giveth him the Testimony of righteousness, because he is indeed partaker of Christ's righteousness, which he hath apprehended and applied by faith. If I should insist upon human testimonies, and the opinions of Orthodox expositors of these words both ancient and modern for the further proof of this exposition, a large volume would be little enough: for the particular rehearsing of them all, let these five arguments suffice. The Confutation of the false exposition made by Socinus, and other heretics his Disciples; as Wotton, Goodwin, and their Companions. FIrst, whereas they hold, that faith in a proper literal sense; that is, considered in itself without relation to any other thing, is counted to every true believer for righteousness to justification, and God requireth in and of us, no other thing for righteousness, neither our works performed in our own persons, according to the Law, nor Christ's perfect righteousness, and fulfilling of the Law, made ours by spiritual union and communion, and accepted of God for us. This I prove to be false, heretical, and blasphemous by these Arguments following. First, Faith taken in a proper sense, is a part of our conformity and obedience to the Law of God, which above all things requires that we give honour to God, by believing him and his word, and trusting in him as our only Rock, and the God of our strength and salvation. They therefore teaching, That faith in a proper sense is counted for righteousness, do teach, that we are justified by a work of obedience to the Law performed in our own persons, and that this is the only righteousness which God requires any way of us for justification: Therefore their opinion is heretical, more impious than the Pelagian and Popish Heresies concerning justification. Secondly, that which was imputed to Abraham, and is imputed to true believers, is righteousness, so the Apostle affirms, ver. 6. and 11. But faith is not righteousness taken in a proper sense, for righteousness is a perfect conformity to the Law, as sin is transgression of the Law: Therefore faith in a proper sense is not righteousness. Thirdly, that which chargeth God with error, and falsehood, in his judgement, is blasphemy. This opinion, that God counts faith for righteousness, that is, thinketh, judgeth, and esteemeth it to be righteousness taken in a proper sense, chargeth God with error and falsehood, in his judgement; Therefore it is blasphemy. If they plead, that God by his sovereign power, may graciously count that which is not righteousness, for righteousness to the believer: I answer, that God by his sovereign power, cannotly, nor err, nor judge unrighteously, it is contrary to his infinite and eternal justice, which will not be satisfied without fulfilling of his just Law, and perfect righteousness communicated, and imputed to us: Therefore this is a base shift, and wicked pretence, devised to cover their blasphemy, by that which is indeed, a greater blasphemy. Fourthly that opinion which denyeth, and taketh away the means by which God is revealed to be infinitely just, merciful, and wise, and makes the satisfaction of Christ and his perfect fulfilling of the Law, a vain and needless thing, is most heretical, impious, and blasphemous. This opinion, that God by his sovereign power can, and doth count, and accept, faith in a proper sense for righteousness to justification, without imputation of Christ's satisfaction, and righteousness, takes away these means, and makes Christ's fulfilling of the Law, a vain and needless thing. Therefore it is an impious heretical and blasphemous opinion. The means by which God is revealed to be infinitely just, merciful and wise, are these: Namely, First, that he cannot be reconciled to man without a full satisfaction made to his just Law by men's surety in their stead, and by him communicated to them, and made theirs as truly as if they had fulfilled the Law in their own persons, and though the satisfaction be of infinite valve, yet it cannot profit them till they have communion of it, and be partakers thereof: this is that which reveals God to be infinitely just, and that his infinite justice being so strict, he would mercifully give his own Son to become man, and in man's nature, to make such a full satisfaction for men, and by his Spirit shed on them through Christ, would unite them unto him in one body, and communicate him with all his benefits and satisfaction to them, to be truly theirs, and to satisfy for them. This reveals his infinite mercy, bounty, and wisdom: And by these means, this opinion takes away God's justice, while it sets God forth to be such a one as can dispense with is justice and accept faith in a proper sense for righteousness which is no righteousness, but only a weak imperfect work and duty which we owe to the Law. If God's justice may thus be dispensed with, and a weak thing in frail man, counted for righteousness without any communion, or imputation. What need was there of Christ's Death, suffering, and obedience; God might as well have accepted the sacrifice of a Lamb, or the suffering and obedience of a mere man, and so the full satisfaction of Christ is vain and needless, and it was want of wisdom in God to spend so much of Christ's blood and obedience in vain, when by his sovereign power he might have accounted a less thing for man's ransom. Therefore this opinion is blasphemy. Fiftly, that opinion which overthrows the sacraments of the Gospel, and the true use of them, is heretical and blasphemous. This opinion, that Christ's righteousness and obedience is is not imputed to the faithful doth so; for the Sacraments are seals of our communion with Christ, and the Lord's Supper rightly received, is called, the communion of the faithful; and when these her●ticks deny, that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to the faithful, they deny their communion with Christ, for if Christ's righteousness be communicated spiritually to them, and made theirs, God, whose judgement is according to truth, cannot but impute it to them, and set it on their score, and count it theirs in his true judgement: If he should not count it theirs, and impute it to them, he should judge unjustly, and err in his judgement; and the Sacraments which are seals of communion, are lying seals, if it be not communicated nor imputed. Therefore this opinion is heretical and blasphemous. Sixthly, that opinion which is invented and maintained by heretics, who deny the eternal God head of Christ, and tends to persuade men, that there is no use of Christ's being God and man in one person, is heretical, and blasphemous. This opinion is such, and tends to take away the use of Christ's being God and man in one person, and to persuade men there is no use of his being God and man in one person; for all Orthodox Divines teach that it was necessary Christ should be Go●●hat the obedience and suffering of his manhood for a time might be the suffering and obedience of God, and so of infinite value, and of more worth than if the elect had suffered for ever in Hell in their own persons, and that the fulfilling and obedience of him alone in our nature, should be of more value than if they all in their own persons had suffered and obeyed as much as he did: They also teach, that the satisfaction and righteousness which God's infinite justice required, and without which it could not be satisfied, for the removing of so great an evil as God's infinite wrath and eternal death and torment in Hell, and for the bringing in of eternal righteousness & making men worthy of, and fit for eternal glory in Heaven, which is an infinite good, could not be performed by any but by him, who is God and man in one person: And therefore the infinite evil which was to be taken away by Christ's suffering, and the infinite good which was to be procured by his obedience, and righteousness, required necessarily, that he should be God and man in one person. But the authors of this opinion, by denying that God's infinite justice stands in strength and requires such a satisfaction, or that every believer hath need to have such a satisfaction communicated to him, made his by spiritual union, and imputed to him, they take away the use of Christ's godhead, and the causes and reasons for which it was necessary that he should be God, and in conclusion they deny Christ to be God. Therefore this opinion is heretical and Blasphemous. Lastly, that opinion which is builded on heretical and blasphemous grounds, and is maintained and upheld by blasphemous Arguments, which shake and raze the main foundations of true Religion, is most heretical and blasphemous: And such is this opinion; for it is builded upon this blasphemous ground, That God by his sovereign power, may do and will, things contrary to his justice; that is, count, and accept that for righteousness, which is not righteousness, 〈◊〉 worthy to be counted one Act of perfect righteousness, (for such is the faith of frail man taken in a proper sense) The arguments by which it is commonly maintained, are also blasphemous, viz. That Christ's righteousness is not the righteousness of true believers, neither is it imputed to them by God for justification: for they say, God cannot justify one by the righteousness of another, and therefore he cannot justify us, by Christ's righteousness. What is this but an express denial of the union of the faithful with Christ, for if he be one with us, and we with him, then are our sins made his, and in him satisfied, and his righteousness made ours, and we are justified by it, as it is ours, and not the righteousness of another, nor so different from us; but that he and all his benefits are ours, and we have interest in them, and enjoy and possess them so far as every one hath need of them. Secondly, they argue, that the righteousness of one cannot be sufficient for all the elect, nor counted to them all for righteousness, which is in effect a denying of Christ to be God and man in one person, for if they acknowledge him to be God, they must needs acknowledge, that his righteousness and fulfilling of the Law, is of more worth and value, then if all men in the world had fulfilled the Law in their own persons, without failing in one point. Thirdly, they argue, that if Christ's satisfaction and righteousness be so made ours, and imputed to us, that the Law may be said to be fulfilled in us, and we may be said to have satisfied God's justice in and by him our surety, and our head, than is there no place left for pardon and free forgiveness of our sins, for pardon and satisfaction are contrary. By which they overthrow the Doctrine of redemption, and of Christ's satisfaction, and deny Christ to be our redeemer, and to have paid our ransom, and made a full satisfaction for our sins to God's justice contrary to the Scriptures, and the judgement and belief of all Christian Divines, which teach, that Christ hath paid our ransom, and made a full satisfaction, and so is properly our redeemer: and though God's Iusti●● exacted of Christ our surety, a full ransom, and did not abate to him the least farthing of our debt, yet we are freely pardoned, and have free forgiveness, and are freely justified by God's grace, because he did freely give Christ to satisfy and fulfil the Law for us, and doth freely by his grace, and by the free gift of his Spirit, unite us to Christ, and make us partakers of his satisfaction, and imputing his satisfaction freely to us, doth for it freely forgive our sins, and justify us. Fourthly, while they argue, that faith in a proper sense is all the righteousness which the faithful have for justification, and ye dare not affirm that faith is any formal righteousness, but deny that any formal righteousness is required in justification: Hereby they deny the Saints justified to be righteous, contrary to the Scriptures, which call the faithful justified, the righteous, and the generation of the righteous, which they cannot be without a formal righteousness, which doth constitute and give being to a righteous and justified man, as he is righteous and justified; wherefore this is a monstrous opinion, contrary to common sense and reason. Fiftly, while they deny, that the faithful are constituted and made formally righteous, by the obedience of Christ communicated, and imputed to them, (which the Apostle in express words doth affirm. Rom. 5. 19 and 8. 4. and 10. 4.) they fall into the heresy of the Pelagians, and are forced to deny that Adam's sin, and disobedience is communicated, and imputed to his posterity, and they are formally sinners, by it; And rather than they will yield, that Infants which die before they commit actual transgression in their own persons are by death punished, because they are guilty of Adam's sin, they do blasphemously affirm, that God being offended, and moved to wrath by the sins of Parents, will out of the magnificence of his justice, destroy Innocent Babes, with their sinful Parents, which is contrary to God's word and Law, teaching us▪ ●hat Children shall not die for the sins of their Parents, unless they be partakers with them, either by communion and imputation, or by imitation and approbation; whereas they bring for instance, that the Children of Korah were destroyed with their Father, though they were Innocent, and not partakers in the sin; here in they contradict the Scriptures, which expressly affirm, that the Children of Korah died not. Num. 26. 11. for they upon Moses his threatening, escaped, and fled from their father's Tents in all likelihood, and only they perished, who would not be admonished by Moses; to separate from the Congregation of Korah, but adhered to him, & were partakers of his conspiracy & sin. Sixt●y, when they for a colour of their heresy confess in word, that Christ's righteousness is the meritorio us cause of justification, and yet deny communion, and imputation of it to believers; they fall into this horrible opinion; That Christ by his righteousness, doth justify Infidels, and impenitent Reprobates, as much as he justifies the elect, and faithful: For if it be not communicated and imputed to believers in their justification, then have they no more interest in the merit thereof, than Infidels, and damned Reprobates; it is only meritorious, and of worth, value, and sufficiency, to justify them, s it is to all mankind, even to Infidels; and what benefit, a and merit of it they have, it is by their own free will making use of it, which Infidels might do if they would, for they have the merit of it as much as believers, can have without communion, and imputation of it. Lastly, while they argue, that as in the first covenant, God required works of the Law performed by every man in his own person, and this was the condition which man was to perform for obtaining of life, and that covenant of life was not free, but conditional; so in the new covenant, God requires in us faith and believing, as the condition which we on our part must perform for justification, and so for the obtaining of eternal life and salvation. Hereby they affirm the new covenant, to be a covenant conditional, and not of free grace, for whatsoever is covenanted and promised upon a condition to be performed, is not absolutely free, nor freely given, and so the faithful are not justified freely b●grace: whereas they plead, that justification a●d life is promised upon condition of believing▪ (If you believe you shall be saved) This is ●grosse and absurd mistake, for every conditional proposition doth not propound the condition of a covenant, for that whensoever it is performed, makes the thing covenanted a due debt, which the promiser is bound to give: But oftentimes a conditional proposition propounds the means by which a free gift is received, or the qualification by which one is made capable and fit to receive and enjoy a free gift: As for example, it is often said in Scripture, If y●● will hear, and harken, ye shall be saved, and not destroyed, your soul shall live, and ye shall ea●e the good of the Land. isaiah 1. 19 Ier. 26. 3. and 36. and many other places. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us. Ioh. 4. 12. If we walk in the light, we have fellowship one with another. 1 Ioh. 1▪ 7. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive. 1 Joh. 1. 9 If a man be just, and do that which is right, he shall surely live. Ezek. 18. 5. 21. in all which and the like places, there is no condition of the covenant propounded, but only the means and the way to receive blessing or the quality and condition by which men are made c●pable and fit to enjoy blessing; and sometimes the effects, and fruits of them that are in a blessed estate; and even so, when the Scripture saith, If ye believe, ye shall be justified: there is no condition of the covenant propounded to be performed on our part for justification, and salvation, but only the qualification by which God doth qualify us, and fit us by his free grace to be justified, and saved, and the means by which he enables us to receive righteousness, and to lay hold on sa●vation, which is freely given to us in Christ. Upon these particulars severally observed out of their own words and writings, I strongly conclude, that this opinion being builded upon such blasphemous and heretical grounds, and maintained and upheld by such blasphemous arguments, must needs be most impious, heretical and blasphemous. Having already proved the S●cinian, and Arminian opinion to be most false, impious, and heretical, and blasphemous, I proceed to discover the weakness and absurdity of Mr. Goodwins Arguments, contained in the 2 Chapter of his Socinian discourse, which he hath attempted to publish in Print (as I hear.) which arguments Ī am challenged to answer, and for that purpose he hath with his own hand delivered them to me: Against which I cheerfully set myself, and stand for the truth. The main ground upon which he pretends to build his Arguments, by which he labours to prove imputation of faith in a proper sense, for righteousness, and that faith, and not the righteousness of Christ apprehended by faith is counted for righteousness, is the 4th Chap: of the Epistle to the Rom●ns. Before his disputation he professeth, that none by any wit of learning under Heaven, is so fit to determinate what is imputed for righteousness in justification as the holy Ghost speaking in the Scriptures; and yet he saith, he leaves his meaning and intent in many things, unto men to debate, which they only can declare to whom he reveals the secret of his counsel, and amongst these being the true begotten of the truth: he seems to intimate, that he will prove himself to be one, by some Stamp or superscription of a rational authority, set upon him, though in common esteem he be but like other men, and the nearer he is to the truth, the farther off he is from the approbation of many men, greatest pretende●s to the truth. Though the rude multitude of his Disciples give just offence, by proclaiming him to be the great light of God's Church, revealed in these last times; yet in him it is more scandalous and offensive, that he, professing the holy Ghost to be the best judge for determining controversies, doth immediately contradict himself, by saying, that he leaves his meaning and intent, to be debated by men, and makes such men as himself (stamped with a rational Authority) the judges of his meaning: What is this, but the heresy of the Arminians, who hold, that their right reason, (as they call it) and not the word of the spirit speaking plainly in the Scriptures, is the best judge of the spirits meaning and intent in obscure places, and how scandalous, and offensive it is for him to profess such excellent things of himself before hand, and in the whole progress of his disputation to run so far from the Spirits meaning, and from all right reason (as I shall prove by my si●●ing, and answering of his Arguments) I leave to the Godly wise, and learned to Judge. His first Argument. FIrst, he undertakes to prove, That faith in a proper sen●e Argu. is affirmed by the Apostle to be imputed for righteousness, and not the righteousness of Christ apprehended by faith, Because the phrase of imputing faith for righteousness is once, yea twice, yea a third, and fourth time used by the Apostle in this Chapter, and therefore hath all the Authority and countenance from the Scriptures that words can give, whereas the imputation of Christ's righteousness hath not the least relief either from any sound of words, or sight of letter in the Scriptures. Answer. IN this Argument he shows himself as bold in affirming Ans. manifest untruths, as ignorant both of rhetoric and logic: In rhetoric it is counted an excellent ornament of speech to continue a trope, and it is called an Allegory, (he is ignorant who knoweth not this.) In logic he is counted a boldlying Sophister, who holds that a syllogism, a true and perfect Argument hath a proposition which is manifestly false. And what more gross ignorance in logic. then to hold two propositions to be negative and affirmative, in respect of one another, which consist of divers subjects, and that an affirmative and the negative may both be true. All these absurdities appear in this Argument. First, in that he affirms the Apostles speech to be proper, and the sense to be properly literal, because he useth the same phrase four times: hereby he shows his Ignorance of the continuance of a trope, which Rhetoricians esteem an elegant Allegory, and which is most frequent in the Scripture: For Jer. 26. the Lord is said to repent 3 several times, viz. ver. 3. 13. 19 and yet the speech is not proper, but improper; for God cannot properly be said to repent, as appears Num. 23. 19 1 Sam. 15. 29. Here than he showeth as much Ignorance of rhetoric, and of the frequent use of rhetorical Allegories in the Scripture, as he seems to show of logic, when he makes his affirmative, viz. Faith is imputed for righteousness; and affirms it to be true, and withal saith, that the negative int●parably accompanying it, is a truth also, when logic teacheth, that if the affirmative be true, the negative must needs be false. If by the negative he means this, viz. Christ's righteousness is not imputed: He errs two ways from logic, first by calling the negative inseparably accompanying his affirmative. Secondly, by speaking ambiguously, a speech which may bear divers senses; which logic abhors in a disputation. Secondly, he shows himself a bold living Sophister, when he affirms most falsely, and impudently 〈◊〉 That no truth in Religion, nor article of our faith, can boast of the Letter, that is, of the proper literal sense of the Scripture more full, express, and pregnant, than that speech or proposition which is four times used in one Chapter, For the contrary is most manifestly true, as divers places show, where one and the same thing is often affirmed, and yet the speech is not proper, but tropical: I will instance in one place which is most convincing, viz. Gal. 3. where the word (Faith) is ten times used in an improper sense, for the word of faith the Gospel, as it is opposed to the Law carnally understood, viz. verse 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 12, 14, 22, 23, 25. Now the main proposition-of his syllogism being so manifestly false, his conclusion inferred from thence is certainly most false, viz. that this speech of Saint Paul (Faith is counted for righteousness) is properly literal▪ and not improper and tropical The second Argument co●ched under the other runs thus, if it be reduced into a●Syllogisme. That which hath 2. Arg. not the least relief either from any sound of words, or sight of letter in the Scripture, is an untruth and a mere fiction, the imputation of Christ's righteousness hath not the least relief, either from sound of words, or sight of letter in Scripture. Therefore it is a mere fiction. The Assumption or Minor of this syllogism is most false, and therefore the conclusion hath no truth in it: I Ans. prove it most false by the Apostles own words; for in the fourth v. he saith, that to the blessed man God imputeth righteousness without works; and verse 11. where he saith, that as to Abraham faith was imputed before he was circumcised, so God showed, that righteousness should be imputed to the believing Gentiles though uncircumcised, In which two places he shows, that by believing and faith imputed to Abraham and all true believers, the Spirit of God means righteousness couched under the name of faith, and believing. Now this righteousness cannot be faith itself in a proper sense; for every act of faith is a work; but this is a righteousness imputed to us without works done by us in our own persons, besides faith and all the believing of the most faithful cannot make up one duty, or work of true and perfect righteousness, such as God can impute to justification, for faith in the best believers (even in Abraham himself) was stained with many doubtings & fears. But here must needs b●e meant that righteousness in which the most just God can see no imperfection, and therefore counts it for righteousness to justify all that are partakers of it; And this can be no other but the righteousness which Christ God and man performed in man's nature, therefore the contrary of the Assumption is most true. The third, which he calls his second main Argument or proof, is drawn from the scope of the place, and the intent 3. Arg. of the Apostle in his discourse of justification, here in these Chapters of this Epistle, it runs thus being reduced into a syllogism. The scope of the place, and intent of the Apostle, is to hedge up as it were with thorns the false way of justification which lay through works, and to put men by from attempting any going that way; and also to discover the true way of justification to them; that is; to make known unto them; what they must do, and what God requires of them for justification, and what he will accept at their hands, instead of the works of the Law, and that is it which he hear saith, is imputed for righteousness. Now faith and believing in the proper and formal signification is that which they must do and perform to their justification, which also God requires of them inst ad of the works of the Law, and will accept at their hands instead of them. Therefore it is faith in a proper sense which is here by the Apostle to be counted for righteousness. In the first proposition we have an heap of lies mixed Ans. with contradiction, first, in that he saith, the scope of the Apostle is to put men from the false way of justification which lies through works, and to discover the true way by making them know what they must do, and perform for justification; here like a mad or drunken man he contradicts himself, for, who doth not see that the way of doing and performing is the way which lies through works, and that if a thing done and performed by us be counted for righteousness to justification, than the way of justification lies through works done by us: which if they be just and lawful, are works of the Law: Secondly, if he by the way which lay through works understands men's own works done in obedience to the Law of God; it is true which he saith; that this is the false way; and that which he calls the true way; viz. by men's doing and performing, is either the same with it, or else worse; and so he speaks a most gross untruth, in calling it the true way, being the same with the false way; but if by the way which lies through works he means seeking after Christ's righteousness which consists in works of obedience to the Law, than his words are most false, wicked and blasphemous, in that he calls this the false way to justification. Thirdly, in that he saith, God requires something to be done, and performed by men for their justification, and that is it, which the Apostle saith is imputed for righteousness, this is most false, neither doth the Apostle intend any such thing in this place, for this is to set up justification by doing, and works of our own, which he altogether opposeth, and his whole scope is bent against it, and to show; that all which we are to look to, is to receive that which is freely given of God, and imputed to us for righteousness, that is, the righteousness of him who is God; as he often calls it in this Epistle, as Rom. 3. 2. and 10. 3. here then behold how he makes the new covenant a conditional Covenant, and not of free grace; promising justification and salvation upon condition of men's doing. In brief, besides the contradictions and other absurdities and untruths in this Argument before noted, I find these gross errors in the carriage of it, One is; in that he saith, God doth not require of us the righteousness of Christ for justification, this he required of Christ himself. To which I answer; that God requires nothing of us for our justification, for we are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ Rom. 3. 24, that is, by the free gift and communion of the satisfaction which Christ made for our redemption; but yet the thing which God requires in our behalf, is that satisfaction and righteousness of Christ, and the qualification of us for the receiving, applying and enjoying of that righteousness for justification, is faith, which is not of ourselves, but is the gift of God, Ephes. 2. 8. for God worketh in us the will and power to believe, and actual believing also, Phil. 2. 13. and all this by his spirit dwelling in us uniting us to Christ, and so bringing us to communion of all his benefits, even of his righteousness to justification: and this is the true intent and scope of the Apostle, to draw us from seeking justification by any work, which we can do, or which God requires of us for that end, and to make us look up to the redemption which is in Christ; and in his satisfaction apprehended by faith to rest for justification: as for this phrase, of God's requiring Christ's righteousness of us, it is harsh and unsavoury, yea absurd; as if one should say God requires, that the particular and individual act done by another, be not done by him, but by us; which implies a contradiction; but this, that God requires the righteousness of Christ, not for our justification, but of Christ himself; this implies; that Christ had need of justification, and was bound to fulfil the righteousness of the Law for himself; and savours of Socinian and Samosatenian heresy which denies Christ's godhead; for if Christ's human nature being from the first conception most pure, upright and holy, was personally united to his godhead, and so the son of God and heir of all things; who can doubt but that in himself he was worthy of all Glory, at God's right hand from his birth, as his taking of our nature upon him was altogether for us, so his infirmities, sufferings, death, and continuance on Earth for the performance of all righteousness and obedience to the whole Law, was for us, and for all the Elect, who of old believed in him to come for them, and who now do in believe him exalted to Glory according to his humanity, to think or say that he had need to justify himself, and to merit by his righteousness the state of Glory, is in effect to deny that he was God infinitely worthy of all Glory, as he was the only begotten son of God and heir of all things. Another gross error is, that he calls faith and believing a thing done and performed by us, when as the Apostle affirms, and all Christians confess, that our believing and faith is not of ourselves, but the gift of God, and the work and motion of his Spirit in us. A third untruth and gross absurdity or rather blasphemy is in the last words, where he affirms, that if the Apostle had said unto them, that they must be justified by Christ, or by Christ's righteousness, this had been rather to cast a snare upon them, then to have opened a door of life and salvation unto them. Far be it from me and all true Christians not to detest, and curse with the curse of Anathema Maranatha, that mouth which proclaims and obstinately maintains, that teaching justification by Christ, and by his righteousness is casting of a snare on men, and not opening adore of life and salvation to them. In the third place he lays down his arguments against the true Orthodox interpretation of Saint Paul's speeches, concerning imputation of faith for righteousness, which interpretation he goeth about to overthrow, by several circumstances or passages in the context. The first Argument reduced into form runs thus, that the Apostle who desired to speak to men's understanding, 1. Arg. should in the weighty point of justification, time after time, and often without ever explaining himself, or changing his speech, use so strange harsh and uncouth an expression, and figure of speech as is not to be found in all his writings, is a thing most unlikely and not to be believed: But this interpretation viz. Fathers upon him such an harsh expression, and figure of speech, without ever explaining of himself, as is not to be found in all his writings, saying, that faith or believing is imputed for righteousness time after time, without over changing his speech, and meaning, that indeed Christ's righteousness is imputed, which was to speak rather that he might conceal his mind then reveal it. Therefore this interpretation layeth on the Apostle a thing incredible, and is false and not to be believed. To the Assumption I answer, that it is an heap of Ans. manifest and impudent lies. First, it is no harsh, strange, and uncouth expression to use a figure of speech, and by saith and believing to mean the state, or a man in the state of a true faithful believer, and by righteousness, the state, or a man in the state of righteousness, or of a righteous man, and to say that faith and believing is counted for righteousness, meaning that the state of a believer having by faith spiritual communion with Christ, is a state of righteousness, and the man which is in that estate, is reputed of God in the state of righteousness, for this same expression and figure of speech, the Apostle useth several times in the four last verses of the 2. Chapter of this Epistle; where by circumcision he understands sanctification of the heart in the Spirit, verse 29. and also 26. and also a circumcised Jew, v. 27. and by uncircumcision he means an uncircumcised Gentile, and also the state of gentilism, as Beza observes, and common sense teacheth; and here is discovered a second impudent lie, in that he saith, this figure of speech is not to be found in all the Apostles writings. A third bold lie and manifest falsehood is, that the Apostle time after time useth the phrase of faith, or believing imputed without ever explaining himself, or changing his speech, for that which he calls faith and believing, and saith it is imputed in the third and 5. ver. he explaining himself, and changing his speech both in the 6. and 11. verses, calls it righteousness, and saith, God imputeth righteousness, and righteousness is imputed. Thus you see how he hath bent his tongue and pen like a bow for lies, and shoots them forth thick and threefold like poisoned arrows, as if his quiver were the armoury of the Father of liars, the Prince of darkness. The second Argument is briefly this, that which is imputed 2. Arg. for righteousness, is called his faith, first before it is imputed, verse 5. to him that believeth his faith is counted for righteousness; But the righteousness of Christ cannot truly and properly be called his: who is a true believer before it is imputed. Therefore the righteousness of Christ is not here to be understood under the name of faith. The righteousness of Christ by spiritual union and 1. Ans. common with Christ: is as truly the true believers as his faith is his, for Christ is made unto him righteousness, 1 Cor. 1. 30. and he is made the righteousness of God in Christ, 2 Cor. 5. 21. and that in order of nature, before it is counted his righteousness. For God, whose judgement is according to truth, doth not count that to the believer which he hath not before, or at the same time doth communicate to him. Secondly I answer, that if faith which is here called 2. Ans. (his faith) be faith in a proper sense, and be imputed for righteousness, than is man justified by his own inherent righteousness, and by a work done and performed in his own person, which is worse than Popery. The object of that faith which is here said to be imputed, 3. Arg. is God himself, or the promise of God, and not the righteousness of Christ: for to understand, that the righteousness of Christ is meant by God, is to set up a trope, which is not a figure of speech, but a monster of speech. Therefore Christ's righteousness is not here said to be imputed. The object of Abraham's faith was the promise of Christ, and that in Christ God was his shield and his Ans. great reward, Gen. 15. 1. Now no man can in believing by true faith, separate Christ's satisfaction and righteousness from Christ himself: if he enjoy Christ by faith, he enjoys Christ's benefits also; and to believe God to be our reward, is to believe that God is become our righteousness, and so our reward, for the blessed reward is the reward of righteousness; and therefore this argument rightly framed out of the 3. v. from Abraham's believing God, is strong against him; Here again I note his ignorance in rhetorical tropes, in that he saith, a double trope in one word, is a monster of speech; whereas rhetoric calls it a Metalepsis, and counts it an ornament of speech. I here also observe his vain tergiversation; for he saith, that the Holy Ghost in the rehearsal of the things which belong to the object of faith and which are believed, doth never make the least mention of Christ's righteousness; and immediately reckons many things which we are in Scripture required to believe; amongst which is Christ himself, and the doctrine of Christ, and the promise of Christ, the testimony which God hath given of his son; and the resurrection of Christ, every one of which includes Christ's righteousness; for if we believe in Christ aright, we cannot but believe in him as a fulfiller of all righteousness; the Doctrine concerning Christ is, that he is made unto us of God righteousness; that he is the end of the Law for righteousness to every believer; The promise of Christ of old was, that Christ is the Lord our righteousness, Ier. 23. 6. and that he would clothe us with the Robe of righteousness, isaiah 61. 10. the Testimony which God hath given of him is, that in him we have eternal life, 1 John 5. 11. which is the reward of his righteousness, and therefore righteousness in him: His resurrection is the evidence of his righteousness and perfect satisfaction, as the Scriptures testify. And thus he saith one thing, and after brings many Scriptures to confute himself; and at last grants what before he denied; that Christ's righteousness is to be believed: he saith that some believe Christ's righteousness who believe not Christ himself, which is indeed a Monster of Speech, Sense, and Reason. In a word, when the Spirit of God teacheth to believe the righteousness of God for justification, Romans 10. 3. and in many other places, which can be no other but Christ's perfect righteousness, and satisfaction, as appears Rom. 3. 24. and again, calls this righteousness, the righteousness of faith, he plainly shows, that it is believed, applied, enjoyed, and possessed by faith. Christ's righteousness can in no tolerable sense be called that 4 Arg. faith whereby Abraham believed in God, that quickeneth the dead, Therefore under the name of that faith, it is not said to be imputed for righteousness. God neither quickened Christ, nor raised him till he had fulfilled all righteousness, neither doth he quicken any Ans. dead, but through his righteousness, and by his Spirit, communicating it to them: and therefore under the name of such a faith, Christ's righteousness is by a metonymy said to be imputed. Abraham's faith was that wherein he was not weak, 5 Arg. neither doubted of God's promise, ver. 19 20. but Christ's righteousness is not that faith, Therefore it is not here said to be imputed. The more strong that Abraham was in faith, and far Ans. from doubting and staggering by unbelief, the more firmly was he united to Christ, and had more full communion of his righteousness, and the more steadfastly did he stand in the state of a righteous man: and more justly might God count him for a righteous man. And therefore this Argument makes against him. Abraham's believing that God who had promised was able 6 Arg. to perform, was the faith imputed. But this was not Christ's righteousness. Therefore Christ's righteousness was not imputed. The more that Abraham rested on God's power and ability Ans. to perform, the more communion he had of Christ's righteousness, and the more justly did God count him for a righteous man, and impute Christ's righteousness to him. The faith which God imputes to us for righteousness, is 7 Arg. our believing him which raised Christ from the dead. But this is not Christ's righteousness. Therefore it is not imputed. Our believing in God who raised Christ from the Ans. dead, is our assurance that Christ had made full satisfaction for us, and therefore the righteous God who raised him up is satisfied for us, and hath accepted his righteousness to be our righteousness, and doth count us so believing, and applying it to be in the state of righteousness. Therefore this is for us and not against us. The 8th Argument is a bare affirmation, that to take 8 Arg. faith in a proper sense, is more plain and clear, and better believing the Apostle in this discourse, where he largely handles the point of justification: Therefore he here means faith in a proper sense, for that is more comfortable then to teach imputation of Christ's righteousness. The Apostle plainly expresseth, that faith imputed, is A righteousness imputed. verse 6. 11. and it is more comfortable for us to rest on Christ's righteousness, (besides which, there is no true and perfect righteousness to be found performed in our nature) then to build on faith, which in the best is mingled and stained with many doubtings often times. Therefore the Apostle undoubtedly intends Christ's righteousness, and so he doth express in plain words, Chap. 5. 19 Chap. 8. 4. and Chap. 10. 4. After these Arguments, he takes upon him to answer Arg. those places wherein the word faith and hope, are used to signify their objects, that is, the things believed and hoped for, and here he doth use notable tergiversation, and trifling. First, he grants, that the Apostle useth such tropes of speech, for indeed, it is undeniable. Secondly, he opposeth and saith, that the habit of faith, may be used to signify the object, but not the act, whereas in the examples named, Gal. 1. 22. ●and 3. 23. and Colo. 1. ●5. the habit and act, espescially the act of belief and hope are to be understood, and indeed the Apostle doth name the habit as often as the act in this present discourse, where he saith, faith is imputed for righteousness. Thirdly, he grants that the act sometimes may be put for the object, but than he flees to his old shift that Christ's righteousness is not the object of believing, which I have before proved it to be: Lastly, contrary to all reason he denies Christ's righteousness to be the object of faith, as it is justifying, whereas it is indeed the only proper object of it. Thus he shamefully trifles to show his impudence, and perverseness. The fourth way of Confirmation. IN the fourth and last place, he undertakes to confirm his opinion by testimony, of learned Divines, both ancient Fathers and modern writers, even from the primitive times, to the year 1500 after Christ: And here he confesseth, that he dares not upon his own reading be confident, that they generally were of his opinion, but only resteth upon another man's testimony, whom he nameth not: Belike, it was some notorious, and infamous Socinian heretic, whom he is a shamed to name for his Author, and that his confession is not out of humility, and modesty, but out of satanical subtlety, to vent his poisonful lies, under the person of another, as the devil did vent his by the Serpent, Gen. 3. I easily gather by his impudent boldness, in that, upon a lying report, he dares charge his adversaries with calumny, and false report, raised upon his opinion (unworthy the tongue or pen of sober and learned men) to make either Arminius, or Socinus, the Authors of it; and that he is not ashamed nor blusheth to affirm, that from the time of Luther, and Calvin, the fairest stream of interpreters runs, as to water and refresh his interpretation. To the first I answer, That though the anciently condemned heretic Peter Anilard, (who was gelded for his incontinency, by a man whose Daughter he had abused) laid the first ground of this opinion; that Christ's satisfaction is not imputed for justification, as Saint Bernard shows, Epist. 190. yet the first Authors who expressly affirmed, that faith in a proper sense, without a trope, is by the Apostle said to be imputed for righteousness, were Socinus. Part 4. Chap. 4. de Christo servatore, and Chap. 11. And Arminius in Epist. ad Hippolitum de collibus. Thes. 5. And to his false pretence of the main stream of writers, since Calvin, and Luther, running to refresh his interpretation, I oppose this challenge, that he cannot name one Orthodox Writer since that time, which ever held, that faith in a proper sense, is imputed for righteousness, and denied the imputation of Christ's righteousness. Socinus, Arminius, and that heretical sect, are the only maintainers of that opinion. An answer to all his Testimonies. TO his Testimonies, and his impudent boasting, of the general consent of interpreters, I answer, first jountly and in general: That of all the Testimonies which he hath cited, there is not one which either affirms, that faith taken in a proper sense, is imputed for righteousness, or denies the righteousness of Christ, to be imputed to us, and accepted of God for our justification; yea, that all Divines, who are the most zealous opposers of his interpretation may say the same words which his Authors say, and yet hold justification by Christ's righteousness, imputed: yea, and in proving that truth may with good reason, press the same words and speeches rightly understood. So that a more odious example of impudence and folly, cannot be imagined, than he here makes himself, by making his folly and absurdity to strive for Mastership with his impudence. Secondly, for the particular testimonies which he citys out of Tertullian, Origen, Justin Martyr, Chrysostom, Augustine, Primasius, Beda, Haymo, and Anselm, and out of later Writers, to wit, Luther, Bucer, Peter Martyr, Calvin, Musculus, Bullinger, Gual●er, Aretius, Illyricus, Pelicanus, Humius, Beza, Junius, Pareus, they are no more but what Saint Paul saith, and we all acknowledge and embrace for truth, namely, that Abraham believing God, was counted a righteous man, and faith was counted to him for righteousness, and so are we all justified, not by our own righteousness, and works of the Law, performed in our own persons, but by faith counted for righteousness; for faith instead of our own works, lays hold on the righteousness of Christ, and apprehending, and comprehending it, is counted for righteousness, not in a proper sense, but as it comprehends Christ and his righteousness, which Calvin calls apprehending the goodness of God, and trusting in it; And therefore it is truly affirmed by Justine Martyr, that Abraham obtained the testimony of righteousness, viz. that he was a righteous man, not because of his circumcision, but because of his faith; which words imply, That faith is not the righteousness of the believer, but the evidence of his communion with Christ in his righteousness and satisfaction. The Testimony which he citys out of Musculus, is expressly contrary to his interpretation; for the words are, Commendata esse debebat hac fides, non propriae qualitatis, sed propositi Dei respectu, that is, This faith ought to be commended, not in respect of the proper quality of it, that is, Not in a proper sense, but in respect of the purpose of God, whereby he hath appointed, that to believe in Christ, he will impute it for righteousness; propter ipsum, that is because of Christ himself, in whom they believe: By which words it is plain, that faith is not imputed in a proper sense to the believer, but in respect of Christ, in whom he believeth, and whose righteousness he applies by faith. The words which he citys out of Aretius, are also strong for us, against himself, viz. That God imputed righteousness to Abraham, that is, so accepted his faith, that hereupon he counted him for a righteous man, by imputative righteousness, which righteousness cannot be any thing inherent (as faith and our own works are) but the righteousness of Christ, besides which, there is no righteousness to be found in all the world perfect and fit to justify man before God. Illyricus his words are as plain against him as our hearts can wish, viz. That begging faith apprehending the righteousness of Christ, is imputed to him in stead of his own righteousness: where note, that the reason why God doth impute faith for righteousness is, because it apprehends Christ's righteousness, not because it of itself in a proper sense is fit to be counted righteousness: being but a poor begging hand, and being inherent in the believer, which imputative righteousness can in no wise be. Thus in all his testimonies we have not one word to prove that faith taken in a proper sense is only imputed for righteousness, and not the righteousness of Christ; But many Testimonies by him cited prove directly the contrary interpretation. But because I will not have such a forger, and false suborner of witnesses go away, without the brands of forgery, and notorious impudence: I will bring in the best learned of the Ancients, and also of late Orthodox Divines, even those whom he calls to witness for him, and make them speak in the●r own words, and testify to all the world, That by faith imputed for righteousness, they understand not faith itself in a proper sense, but the satisfaction, and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, God and man, performed arcording to the Law in our nature, and in our behalf. First Justin Martyr testifieth, that we being in ourselves wicked, and ungodly, cannot possibly become righteous, or be justified, but only in the son of God, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. Now if only in the son of God, and by union, and communion with him, (which all have, who are in him) then, only by his righteousness; (For as the same Author in the same place saith) It is his righteousness and nothing else which can cover our sin. Justin Martyr, Epist ad Diognetum. And in his exposition of faith, he saith, That Christ as well by his exact conversation of life; that is, his perfect righteousness, as by his undeserved death, hath abolished, and covered our fall and failing, which came in by Adam. Irenaeus is so strict for our communion with Christ, in his obedience unto death, and for our reconciliation, and justification thereby, that he imputes Christ's obedience to us, and saith, In secundo Adamo reconciliati sumus, obedientes usque ad mortem facti. Lib. 4. adversus Haereses. cap. 14. Athanasius in his 2 Tome, Pag. 270. of Comelius edition saith, That it is most necessary for us to believe Scriptures, that Christ who hath freed us from the curse, is the first fruits of the mass of mankind, who are by him redeemed, and that the perfect fulfilling of the Law by him the first fruits, is imputed to the whole mass, his words are in Greek, {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman}. And in his book of the Incarnation of the word of God he affirmeth, that we shall live and be saved, because we are partakers of the righteousness without spot, which Christ, God in the flesh, brought into the World. Gregory Nyssen; Oration 2. in Cantic. Canticorum, saith, Christ having the filth or guilt of my sins, transferred upon himself, hath communicated his perfect purity to me, and made me partaker of that beauty which is in himself. Ambrose saith, as Adam is the pattern of death, because of sin, So is Christ the pattern of life because of his ousnesse, Commentar. in cap. 7, Lucae Lib. 5. Chrysostom saith, If a Jew ask thee, how can all the world be saved by the righteous doings of one Christ? Thou Mayst answer even so, as all the world is condemned by one Adam's disobedience: cap. 5. ad Rom. Homil. 10. That is, by the communion and imputation of them. Cyrill saith, Lib. 11. in Ioan. cap. 25. Christ being the author of the Law, and yet subiecting himself to the Law by his obedience and righteousness, brings the blessing and life unto us. And Lib. de recta fide, he saith, It is absurd to think, that we should be made heirs of the punishment of the first Adam, by his disobedience, and should not be made partakers of the righteousness of the second who doth bring us back to life, by his most perfect obedience. Theodoret. Sermo. 10. de curat. Graec. affectionum saith. It is very convenient that he who so highly praised righteousness, should in his coming in the flesh fulfil righteousness for men. Augustin. Enchirid, ad Laurentium cap. 41. saith, he was made sin, that we might be made righteousness; not our own, but God's righteousness; not in ourselves, but in him, even as he was sin, not his own sin, but ours, not in himself, but in us: and in his 6. Sermon, de verbis Apostoli; God the Father (saith he) made him sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Behold here two things, the righteousness of God, yet our own; in him, not in ourselves. Leo the first: in his 70. Epistle saith, that by the innocency of one, we are all made innocent; and that by righteousness, derived unto men from him, who hath taken man's nature upon him. Bernard in his 190. Epistle saith, as one hath borne the sins of all, so the satisfaction of one is imputed to all; It was not one which forfeited, and another which satisfied, for the head of the body is one Christ. Also, in Sermon. ad Milites Templi he saith, Death is made to flee away in the Death of Christ, and Christ's righteousness is imputed to us. And a little after; he who hath willingly been incarnate, willingly suffered, and been willingly crucified, will he keep back his righteousness only from us. And again; One man sinned, and all are held guilty, and shall the innocency of one, viz. Christ, be imputed only to one? Anselm in Rom. 5. saith, that by the righteousness of one coming upon all the elect, they come unto justification, that they may be justified by participation of Christ's righteousness. These with many other Testimonies which might be produced out of Ancient Writers, from the Primitive times until Luther, do abundantly show, that they all by faith imputed, never dreamed of faith imputed in a proper sense, but only the righteousness of Christ apprehended by faith. But to descend to Orthodox Writers of this last age since Luther; It is well known, that they generally held imputation of our sins to Christ, and Christ's satisfaction and righteousness to us, to be the form of justification, by which believers are justified. Luther (if we may believe his own words) acknowledgeth that it was the Doctrine of Saint Bernard, concerning justification by the righteousness of Christ imputed, and not by our own works, which moved him first to loathe the popish Doctrine, and to grow into suspicion and dislike of that religion. And in his Commentary on the Galathians, where he doth most highly extol the righteousness of faith, and debateth the righteousness of works, he tells us, that faith being weak in many of God's Children, cannot be accepted for righteousness of itself, that is, in a proper sense; and therefore there is necessarily required imputation of righteousness for justification, in Gal. 3. 6. See further in the very words of Luther gathered out of his own writings, and digested into common places by Fabricius, who citys the tome, and page for every word and sentence, which are these, first concerning justifying faith, he saith, faith obtains what the Law commands; and what is that but obedience and righteousness, 1 Tom. pag. 32. And again, by Faith Christ is in us, yea one body with us. But Christ is righteous and a fulfiller of God's commandments, wherefore we all by him do fulfil them, while Christ is made ours by faith, also Tom. 3. page 539. when Paul ascribes justification to faith, we must of necessity understand, that he speaks of faith laying hold on Christ, which makes Christ of efficacy against Death, sin, and the Law: Also 2. Tom. pag. 515. Faith settles us upon the works of Christ without our own works and translates us out of the exile or captivity of our sins, into the kingdom of his righteousness. And Tom. 1. pag. 410. Sin is not destroyed unless the Law be fulfilled. But the Law is not fulfilled, but by the righteousness of faith: And page 437. To keep the Law, is to have or possess Christ the perfect fulfiller of the Law. And Tom. 4. Page 44. Faith justifies, because it apprehendeth, and possesseth that treasure; viz. Christ. And Page 45. we say that Christ doth form faith, or is the form of faith. And Tom. 2. upon Genesis, The laying hold on the promises is called sure and firm faith, and doth justify, not as it is our work, but the work of God. These speeches show plainly, that Luther conceived Christ with his righteousness to be after a sort the formal righteousness of the beleever●, though not formally inherent in him, yet formally possessed and enjoyed by faith. Concerning this justifying righteousness, Luther also teacheth; that it is not in ourselves, but in Christ, even his fulfilling of the Law for us made ours and imputed to us Tom. 1. page 106. By faith (saith he) are our sins made no more ours but Christ's, upon whom God hath laid the iniquities of us all, and he hath borne our sins: and on the other side, all his righteousness is made ours, for he lays his hand upon us. And page 178. The righteousness of a Christian is another's righteousness, and comes to him from without; it is even Christ who is made unto us of God righteousness, so that a man may with confidence glory in Christ, and say, Christ his living, doing, and suffering, is mine no otherwise than if I had lived, done, and suffered as he did; as the Married man possesseth all which is his Wives, and the Wife all the goods which are her Husbands, for they have all things common, because they are become one flesh; and so Christ and the Church are one Spirit, by faith in Christ, Christ's righteousness is made our righteousness, and all his are ours, yea, he himself is ours. And Tom. 2. page 86. The righteousness by which we are justified before God, is not in our own persons, but without ourselves in God, because man shall have no cause to be puffed up with an opinion of his own proper righteousness before God. And Tom. 2. page 385. A Christian is not formally righteous, by reason of any substance or quality in him, but relatively, in relation to Christ in whom he hath true righteousness. Melancthon in Epist, ad Rom. 8. 4. saith, wherefore Paul's meaning is thus to be taken; That Christ is given for us, that we may be counted to have satisfied the Law by him, and that for him we may be reputed righteous; Although we ourselves do not satisfy the Law, another's fulfilling of it freely given to us, and is imputed to us, and so the Law is imputatively fulfilled in us, and so when the Apostle saith that Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every believer; that is, he that hath Christ is righteous, he is reputed to have satisfied the Law, and he imputatively hath that which the Law requires. And in chap. 10. 4. upon these words, Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness, &c. he saith, this is the simple meaning: Christ is the end: that is, the fulfilling of the Law to the believer, and he who hath Christ, that is, believes in Christ, is righteous, and hath imputatively what the Law requires. The book of concord, subscribed by so many hundred evangelical Ministers of the reformed Churches in Germany, in the Articles of justification saith, that when we speak of justifying faith, it is to be known, that these three objects concur which are to be believed. 1. the promise of the benefit; that is, mercy for remission or justification. 2. That the promise is most free; which excludes our merits, 3. The merits of C●r●st, which are the price and propitiation, and a little after, Faith doth not justify because it is a work worthy by itself; that is in a proper sense, but only because it receaves the mercy promised. And again how shall Christ be our mediator, if in justification we do not use him for our mediator, that is; if we do not feel, that for him we are reputed righteous. The Divines of the Augustin confession c●ndemne Osiander, who held, that the righteousness of faith was the essential righteousness of God; And also them who taught that Christ is our righteousness only according to his human nature. And in the Epitome of the Articles controverted by some, they with one consent affirmed; that the righteousness of faith is remission of sins, reconciliation to God, and adoption to be sons of God for the obedience of Christ only, which by faith alone of mere grace is imputed to all believers. Articulo 3. de fidei iustitia. And this obedience of Christ which is imputed for righteousness, they affirm to be the obedience which he performed both in his death and passion, and also in his fulfilling of the Law for our sakes. Ibid. Artic. 3. And concerning faith they teach, that in justification before God, it trusteth neither in contrition, nor love, nor any other virtues, but in Christ alone; it is the only mean and instrument which apprehends, and receives the free grace of God, the merit of Christ and remission of sins, and it resteth on Christ's most perfect obedience by which he fulfilled the Law for us, which obedience is imputed to believers for righteousness, Ibid. Artic. 3. Calvin is so zealous, and so clear and manifest in teaching and maintaining the Doctrine of Justification: by the communion and imputation of Christ's perfect obedience, satisfaction, and righteousness, that among Christians, Calvin's Institutions, me thinks, the very Father of liars (the devil himself) should, if not blush and be ashamed, yet in policy be afraid, to call Calvin for a witness against it, lest all that hear him, should hate him and hiss him for his open lying. The Doctrine of Calvin concerning justification, consists of these special Articles laid down plainly. Institut. lib. 3. cap. 11. First, he affirms in plain 1. words, that justification consists in remission of sins, and imputation of Christ's righteousness. Sect. 2. Secondly, he shows what he means by remission of sins, sometimes he takes remission of sins in a large 2. sense, for that act of God by which he doth communicate, and impute the full satisfaction of Christ unto his Elect and faithful, that the whole guilt of all sins, both of omission and co●…ission is taken away, and they are no more accounted nor appear in his sight as sinners: In this sense he calls remission of sins totum iustificationis, in his Comment on Rom. 4. and tot●m iustificationem, whole justification. Instit. lib. 3. ca, 8. 4. For indeed when the sins of commission are taken away by that part of Christ's satisfaction imputed, which is called, his passive obedience, or voluntary suffering of the penalties of the Law; and the sins of omission by his active obedience in fulfilling the righteousness which the Law requires, which is the other part of Christ's imputed satisfaction, so that the Elect are now reputed as righteous men, who have the defect which came by Omission supplied, and have no more the sins of Omission imputed to them; this is perfect and whole justification (as he truly calls it) But sometimes he useth the word, remission of sins, in a more strict sense, for that part of God's act of communicating and imputing of Christ's satisfaction, which respects the passive obedience of Christ, which takes away the guilt of sins committed, but doth not supply the omission of righteousness, and in this sense he makes remission of sins but a part of justification, and God's imputing of the active part of Christ's satisfaction and counting the faithful righteous by it imputed, he makes the other part of justification in the words before cited out of his Institutions lib. 3. cap. 11. Sect. 2. Thirdly, he constantly teacheth and affirmeth; that 3. there is no righteousness by which a man can stand before God's tribunal, and be accepted for righteous in his sight, but only the full satisfaction and perfect righteousness of Christ, which he the son of God performed in the nature of man, for that which is not entire and absolute, and without all stain and spot: (such as never hath been, nor shall be found in any mere man) can never be accepted of God, but is with him slighted and vilified beyond all measure; and whosoever prates of any righteousness in men's own works or doings, they have no true thought, nor the least sense of the justice of God, but make a mock of it, Institut. lib. 3. cap. 12. Sect. 1. and 3. and 11. 26. Fourthly he affirmeth, that man is justified by faith, 4. when he is excluded from the righteousness of works: & by faith layeth hold on the righteousness of Christ with which he being clothed, doth appear in the sight of God, not as a sinner, but as a righteous man. Instit. lib. 3. cap. 11. Sect. 1. And in the same chap. Sect. 11. He saith, Haec est mirabilis iustific●…i ratio, ut Christi iustitia tecti, non exhorreant iudicium quo dignisunt, & dum seipsos merito damnant, insti extra se censeantur. Fiftly concerning the Office of faith in justification, 5. he teacheth, that faith being in itself weak and imperfect, and of no dignity or worth, price or value, is never able to justify us by itself, but by bringing Christ unto us, who is given to us for righteousness, it is not our righteousness: but makes us come with the mouth of the soul opened, that we may be capable of Christ; and it is as a vessel or Pot; for as the pot full of money enricheth a man, so faith filled with Christ and his righteousness is said to justify us and to be counted for righteousness: and therefore he saith; that it is a foolish thing to mingle our faith, which is only the instrument of receiving righteousness, with Christ who is the material cause, and both the Author and Minister of this great benefit. chap. 11. Sect. 7. And in the 17. Sect. he saith, that faith is hereupon said to justify; because it doth receive and embrace the righteousness which is ●ffered in the gospel. Sixtly he affirms; that the righteousness by which believers are justified and stand righteous before God, is, 6. not in themselves but in Christ, even his perfect obedience and righteousness communicated to them by imputation Sect. 23. Lastly he showeth how this righteousness comes to be the righteousness of believers; and to be so communicated 7. to them, that God doth justify, impute it to them for justification, and accept as if it were their own; viz. by means of their spiritual union, and communion with Christ; by which they are made partakers of Christ, and with him and in him possess all his riches. Sect. 10. and 20. and 23. This is the sum of C●lvins Doctrine concerning justification, briefly comprised out of his own words, in places before cited, where the Reader may be fully satified. Beza in the doctrine of justification, by faith doth perfectly agree with Luther and Calvin in all the former Articles. First he saith; that faith is not any such virtue as doth justify us in ourselves before God, for that is to set up faith in the place of Christ: who alone is our whole and perfect righteousness, but faith justifies as it is the instrument which receiveth Christ: and with him his righteousness; that is; most full perfection; and we say that we are justified by faith only, because it embraceth Christ who doth justify us: with whom it doth unite and couple us, that we may be partakers of him and all his goods, which being imputed to us, are sufficient that we may be absolved before God, and deemed righteous; Confess: cap. 4. Sect. 7. in notis Rom. 3. 2●. 24. Secondly, that faith sends to Christ for perfect righteousness to justification, and that it assures us of salvation, through his righteousness alone, because whatsoever is in Christ, is imputed to us, as if it were our own, if so be we embrace him by faith; and what the righteousness of Christ is which is imputed to us, he fully expresseth and describeth to be that greatest and most absolute perfection of righteousness: consisting in these two things. 1. That he hath no sin in him. 2: That he hath fulfilled all the righteousness of the Law, cap. 4. Sect. 58. in notis Rom. 3. 22. 26. and Rom 4. 5. in Phil. 3. 9 Rom. 5. 12. Thirdly he showeth; that we come to have communion with Christ's righteousness: by spiritual union and marriage with Christ. ff (saith he) we be united and joined together into fellowship with Christ by faith, nothing is more proper ours, than Christ, and whatsoever is Christ's. Confess. 4. Sect. 9 Fourthly he pronounceth, that it is no less than wicked blasphemy, to deny the mutual and reciprocal i●putations of the sins of true believers to Christ, and of Christ's righteousness to true believers, in his book of justification against Anonymus. Fiftly he affirms; that righteousness which justifies men before God: must be both a full satisfaction for sin; and also a perfect fulfilling of God's commandments in every part, in Rom. 3. 20. Our learned whitaker's work against Campion, in his answer to the 8. reason: page 38. and against Duraus, lib. 8. page 176. 177. 182, 183. doth stoutly and p●thily dispute and maintain the Doctrine of justification, by the righteousness of Christ imputed, which he proves to be the only perfect righteousness, able to justify us before God. Master Perkins also; in his golden chain (called the order of the causes of salvation and d●…tion, chap. 37.) makes the translation of the believers sins to Christ, and of Christ's righteousness to the believer: by a ●…uall and reciprocal imputation, the form of justification. Polan●…, in Sy●…ate theologi●o Lib. 6. Cap. 36. doth maintain the same Doctrine, with Luther, Calvin, Beza, and Whitaker: and proves every point fully, by plain testimonies, and invincible Arguments, out of the holy Scriptures. In his Symphonia Catholica, he brings testimonies of Ancients, affirming every Article of our Doctrine. And in his Theses de justify. he shows the consent of Orthodox Divines of the reformed Churches. And that M●sculus, Junius, and other latter Divines, are grossly abused by him, who brings their testimonies to overthrow the imputation of Christ's righteousness, will plainly appear, if any be pleased to read Musculus upon Rom. 8. 34. and 16. 3. 4. where he expounds the Apostles words of the fulfilling of the righteousness of of the Law in us, to be meant. First of all imputatively by the righteousness of another, even of Christ which is also ●●rs, For we are flesh, of his flesh, &c. And by the righteousness of God he understands Christ's perfect righteousness imputed●o us. Also Junius, Thes. 35. and 36. doth affirm, that the righteousness of faith imputed to believers, is the righteousness which the Law requires, performed by Christ; differing only in this, that legal is every man's fulfilling of the Law in his own person, but this Ev●ngelicall, is the fulfilling of the Law by Christ, God and ●an our surely and mediator. Thus have I vindicated the Godly learned, both ●●cio●●, and modern Divines, from the soul slander, most falsely laid upon them, by this impudent forger of false witnesses: and by their own manifest testimonies, I have made manifest their unanimous consent in the true Doctrine of justification, by the righteousness of Christ, imputed to believers, and of them apprehended, and applied by faith. Now I leave it to all indifferent Readers, and zealous Christians, to consider, whether it be not their duty, both to take heed to themselves, and to admonish others, that they have no fellowship, with so openly professed Socinian Sectaries as this man, and his followers are: you see the Doctrine which they maintain, is wicked, and blasphemous heresy: And after many admonitions given by divers grave and learned Divines, and often public confutations, and censures, passed in public, they still persist in their pestilent heresy, & are more mad to maintain and dispute it then before; and when truth cannot help them, they flee for help to the Father of liars, and make lies their refuge, and in forging lies they sin, being condemned of themselves, even against their knowledge, and conscience; As the Apostle foretold concerning heretics, Titus 3. 11. How wilfully against the known truth, and his own conscience, this desperate man, hath Proclaimed Luther, Calvin, Beza, Musculus, Junius, and others, to be of his opinion, I have sufficiently proved; and if ever he did but look into any of their writings, his own eyes would have taught him how opposite they are to his heresy. As for his rude, impudent, and unmannerly followers, their own lying and slanderous tongues, proclaim their pedigree from the Father of liars. Let this my answer by way of disputation, and confutation, be a witness to free from the false reports which they have dispersed even among divers, who were eye and ear witnesses, to the contrary, viz. That Mr. Goodwin did confute and confound me of late, when he came to perform the challenge made by him, or at least, boldly undertaken upon the request of his Disciples, who made and sent it to me, and did so mightily convince me, by the power of his Arguments, that first he made me rage through anger and fury, and after made both my Brother and me, to yield, and to confess our former ignorance, and errors, and to embrace him as one sent from God to turn us from darkness to light. That 〈◊〉 promised, and vowed, to renounce my former Doctrine of justification, if ever God would give me liberty, and to Preach his heretical opinion: that we besought him and all his Followers to join with us in thanksgiving to God for our Illumination, by their Divine Doctor; and in prayer for the Grace of perseverance, in the light received. These reports of us are in our eyes no other, then if they had reported, that truth was turned unto falsehood, and the devil become the Father of truth: From such Spirits, the God of truth, defend his Church, and People, and grant a free passage to his Gospel, and to his faithful Ministers a door of utterance, that they may Preach among all men everywhere, the unsearchable riches of Christ. To that God of truth, I consecrate my tongue and pen, and do resolve with both, to maintain his truth, by his assistance and grace, so long as life, breath, and strength shall last: and to him give all glory, now and ever. FINIS.