But you add, "The faith which ent.i.tles a sinner to so high a privilege as that of justification, must needs be such as complieth with all the purposes of Christ"s coming into the world," &c. (p.
222).
Ans. By this supposition, faith justifieth not by receiving of the righteousness that Christ by himself accomplished for sinners; but by falling in with all good works, which because they cannot be known, much less done, by the soul at first, his faith being then, as to the perfection of knowledge of duties, weak, he standeth still before G.o.d unjustified, and so must stand until he doth comply with all those purposes of Christ"s coming into the world.
But yet again you recall yourself, and distinguish one purpose from the rest, as a grand one (p. 222). And that is to receive Christ as Lord, as well as a Saviour.
Ans. 1. Although the soul that in truth receiveth Christ, receiveth him wholly, and entirely as Christ, and not as chopt, and pulled in pieces: yet I distinguish between the act of faith, which layeth hold of Christ for my justification from the curse before G.o.d, and the consequences of that act, which are to engage me to newness of life. And indeed, as it is impossible for a man to be a new man, before he be justified in the sight of G.o.d; so it is also as impossible, but that when faith hath once laid hold on Christ for life, it should also follow Christ by love. But,
2. Christ may be received at first as Lord, and that in our justification, and yet not at all be considered as a law-giver, for so he is not the object of faith for our justification with G.o.d, but a requirer of obedience to laws and statutes, of them that already are justified by the faith that receiveth him as righteousness.
But Christ is as well a Lord for us, as to, or over us; and it highly concerneth the soul, when it believeth in, or trusteth to the righteousness of Christ, for justification with G.o.d, to see that this righteousness lords it over death, and sin, and the devil, and h.e.l.l for us: the name wherewith he shall be called, is, "the Lord our righteousness" (Jer 23:6). Our righteousness, then is Lord, and conqueror over all; and we more than conquerors through this Lord that loved us (Rom 8). The author to the hebrews calls him "King of righteousness" (Heb 7), because by his righteousness he ruleth as Lord and King, and can reign and lord it, at all times over all those that seek to separate us from the presence, and glory of G.o.d.[27]
Now, how you will brook this doctrine I know not; I am sure he stands in need thereof, that is lorded over by the curse of the law, the guilt of sin, the rage of the devil, and the fear of death and h.e.l.l; he, I say, would be glad to know that in Christ there is a righteousness that LORDS IT, or that Christ, as he is righteousness, is LORD.
Wherefore reader, when thou shalt read or hear, that Jesus Christ is Lord, if thou art at the same time under guilt of sin, and fear of h.e.l.l, then do thou remember that Christ is Lord more ways than one, He is Lord as he is righteousness; he is Lord as he is imputative righteousness; he is "the Lord our righteousness"
(Jer 23:6). Of the same import is that also, "He is a Prince, and a Saviour," he is a Prince, as he is a Saviour; because the righteousness by which he saveth, beareth rule in heaven, and earth.
And hence we read again, that even when he was in the combat with our sins, the devils, the curse, and death, upon the cross, he even in that place "made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them" (Col 2:15,16). Now in these things he is Lord for us, and the Captain of our salvation; as also in that "He led captivity captive" (Eph 4:8); all which places, with many more, being testimonies to us, of the sufficiency of that righteousness which saveth us from the justice of the law and wrath of G.o.d. But you respect not this his manner of lording; but will have him be a Saviour, as he giveth laws, especially those you call indispensable, and eternal, the moral law. You would have him a Saviour, as he bringeth us back to the holiness we had lost. But this is none other than barbarous quakerism, the stress of their writing also tending to no other purpose.
But you tell us, "That you scarcely admired at any thing more in all your life, than that any worthy men especially, should be so difficultly persuaded to embrace this account of justifying faith, and should perplex and make intricate so very plain a doctrine"
(p. 222).
Ans. And doubtless they far more[28] groundedly stand amazed at such as you, who while you pretend to shew the design of the gospel, make the very essential of it, a thing in itself indifferent, and absolutely considered neither good nor evil (p. 7), that makes obedience to the moral laws (p. 8), more essential to salvation, than that of going to G.o.d by Christ (p. 9), that maketh it the great design of Christ, to put us into a possession of that promiseless, natural, old covenant holiness which we had lost long since in Adam, that maketh as if Christ, rejecting all other righteousness, or holiness, hath established only this (p. 10-16). Yea, that maketh the very principle of this holiness to consist in "a sound complexion of soul, the purity of human nature in us, a habit of soul, truly generous motives and principles, divine moral laws which were first written in men"s hearts, and originally dictates of human nature." All this villainy against the Son of G.o.d, with much more as bad, is comprized within less than the first sixteen pages of your book.
But say you, "what pretence can there be for thinking, that faith is the condition, or instrument of justification, as it complieth with only the precept of relying upon Christ"s merits for the obtaining of it: especially when it is no less manifest than the sun at noon-day, that obedience to the other precepts must go before obedience to this; and that a man may not rely upon the merits of Christ for the forgiveness of his sins, and he is most presumptuous in so doing, and puts an affront upon his Saviour too, till he be sincerely willing to be reformed from them" (p.
223).
Ans. That the merits of Christ, for justification, are made over to that faith that receiveth them, while the person that believeth it, stands in his own account, by the law a sinner; hath already been shewed. And that they are not by G.o.d appointed for another purpose, is manifest through all the bible.
1. In the type, when the b.l.o.o.d.y sacrifices were to be offered, and an atonement made for the soul, the people were only to confess their sins over the head of the bullock, or goat, or lamb, by laying their hands thereon, and so the sacrifice was to be slain.
they were only to acknowledge their sins. And observe it, in the day that these offerings were made, they were "not to work at all; for he that did any work therein, was to be cut off from his people" (Lev 4, 16, 23).
2. In the ant.i.type thus it runs; "Christ died for our sins; Christ gave himself for our sins; he was made to be sin for us; Christ was made a curse for us."
"Yea, but [say you] What pretence can there be, that faith is the condition, or instrument of justification, as it complieth with only the precepts of relying upon Christ"s merits"; that is, first, or before the soul doth other things.
Ans. I say, avoiding your own ambiguous terms, that it is the duty, the indispensable duty of all that would be saved, First, Immediately, now to close in by faith with that work of redemption, which Christ by his blood hath purchased for them, as they are sinners.
1. Because G.o.d doth hold it forth, yea, hath set it forth to be received by us, as such (Rom 3:23-27).
2. Because G.o.d hath commanded us by faith to receive it as such (Acts 16).
And I add, If the jailor was altogether ignorant of what he must do to be saved, and Paul yet bids him then, before he knew anything else, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and he should be saved,"
that then believing, even believing on Christ for a righteousness to justify and save him, must go first, and may, nay ought to be pressed, even then, when the soul stands ignorant of what else he ought to do (Acts 16:30-32).
"But [you say] It is evident as the sun at noon-day, that obedience to the other precepts must go before obedience to this, that is, before faith in Christ."
Ans. This you say; but Paul said to the ignorant jailor, that knew nothing of the mind of G.o.d in the doctrine of justification, that he should first believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and so should be saved. Again, when Paul preached to the Corinthians, the first doctrine that he delivered unto them was, "That Christ died for their sins, according to the scriptures," &c. (1 Cor 15:1-3).
But what be these other precepts? Not Baptism, nor the supper of the Lord; for these you say are, as poor and inconsiderable, as that of coming to G.o.d by Christ, even all three, things in themselves neither good nor evil, but of an indifferent nature; they must be therefore some more weighty things of the gospel, than these positive precepts. But what things are they? It is good that you tell us, seeing you tacitly forbid all men upon pain of presumption and of doing affront to Jesus Christ, that they rely not on the merits of Christ for forgiveness till they be sincerely willing to perform them first; yet I find not here one particular precept instanced by you: But perhaps we shall hear of them hereafter, therefore now I shall let them pa.s.s. You tell us farther, "That such a reliance [as that of acting faith, first, on the merits of Christ for justification] is ordinarily to be found amongst unregenerate, and even the worst of men" (p. 223).
Ans. This is but a falsehood and a slander, for the unregenerate know him not; how then can they believe on him? (1 John 3:1).
Besides, the worst of men, so far as they pretend religion, set up your idol in their hearts, viz. their own good meanings, their own good nature, the notions and dictates of their nature, living that little which they do live upon the snuff of their own light, the sparks of their own fire, and therefore woe unto them.
But you add, "How can it be otherwise, than that that act of faith must needs have a hand in justifying, and the special hand too, which distinguisheth it from that which is to be found in such persons."
Ans. 1. There is no act of faith doth more distinguish true faith from false, and the Christian from the painted hypocrite, than that which first lays hold on Christ, while the person that hath it stands in his own esteem, unG.o.dly; all over like yourself, being fearful and unbelieving (Rev 21:8) despisers, who wonder, and perish (Acts 13:40-41).
2. And this faith, by thus acting, doth more subdue sin, though it doth not justify as subduing, but as applying Christ"s righteousness, than all the wisdom and purity of human nature, or the dictates of that nature that is found in the whole world.
But you add farther: "What good ground can men have for this fancy, when as our Saviour hath merited the pardon of sin for this end, that it might be an effectual motive to turn from it?"
Ans. Although you speak this in great derision to faith when it worketh right, yet know that therefore (seeing you would hear it) I say, therefore hath our Saviour merited pardon, and bestowed it on men freely, and bid them believe or receive it, and have it; that thereby they might be encouraged to live to him, and love him, and comply with his commandments. "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die: But G.o.d commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being NOW justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him" (Rom 5). Now, as here we are said to be justified by his blood, that is, as his blood appeaseth the justice of G.o.d; so again, it is said that this blood is set forth by G.o.d for us to have faith in it, by the term of a propitiation. "Whom G.o.d hath set forth to be a propitiation [or a sacrifice to appease the displeasure of G.o.d] through faith in his blood.--To declare at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Rom 3:25,26).
Again, As we are thus justified by blood in the sight of G.o.d, by faith in it, so also it is testified of his blood, that it sprinkleth the conscience of the faithful, but still only as it is received by faith. But from what is the conscience sprinkled, but from those dead works that remain in all that have not yet been justified by faith in this blood. Now if faith in this blood doth sprinkle the conscience, and so doth purge it from all dead works, then must faith go first to the blood of Christ for justification, and must bring this home to the defiled conscience, before it be delivered from those dead works that are in it, and made capable of serving the living G.o.d (Rom 5:7-10, 3:24,25; Heb 9:14, 10:19-22).
But you say, "you will never trust your discursive faculty so long as you live, if you are mistaken here" (p. 224).
Tell not me of your discursive faculty: The word of G.o.d is plain.
And never challenge man, for he that condemneth your way to heaven, to the very pit of h.e.l.l, as Paul doth, can yet set forth a better.
Second, I come now to the second thing, viz. the doctrine of the imputation of Christ"s righteousness, which you thus expound.
"It consists in dealing with sincerely righteous persons, as if they were perfectly so, for the sake, and upon the account of Christ"s righteousness" (p. 225, 226).
Ans. 1. Any thing but truth; but I would know how sincerely righteous they were that were justified without works? Or how sincerely righteous they were whom G.o.d justified as unG.o.dly? (Rom 4:3-5).
2. Your explication of the imputation of Christ"s righteousness makes it respect our works rather than our persons: "It consists [say you] in dealing with sincerely righteous persons, as if they were perfectly so": That is, it justifieth their imperfect righteousness first, and so secondarily their persons for the sake of that.
But observe a few things from this explication.
1. This concludeth that a man may be sincerely righteous in G.o.d"s account, WITHOUT the righteousness of Christ; for that is to be imputed to such, and none but such.
2. This concludeth that men may be sincerely righteous, before Christ"s righteousness is imputed: For this sincere righteousness is precedent to the imputation of Christ"s.
3. This concludeth that a man may have true, yea saving grace in great and mighty action in him, before he hath faith in the righteousness of Christ. For if a man must be sincerely righteous first; then he must not only have that we call the habit, but the powerful acts of grace.
Besides, if the righteousness of Christ is not to be looked to first, but secondarily; not before, but after we be made sincerely righteous; then may not faith be thus acted if a man should have it, until he be first a sincerely righteous person.
4. This concludeth that a man may be brought from under the curse of the law in G.o.d"s sight, before he have faith in the righteousness of Christ, yea before it be imputed to him: for he that in G.o.d"s account is reckoned sincerely righteous, is beloved of his G.o.d.
5. This concludeth that a man may be from under the curse of G.o.d, without the imputation of the righteousness of Christ: For if a man must be sincerely righteous in G.o.d"s account without it, then he is from under the curse of G.o.d without it.
6. This doctrine teacheth farther, that Christ came to call, and justify the righteous, contrary to his express word. In short, by this account of things, first we must be healed, and then the plaister comes.
Yea, so confident is this man in this his a.s.sertion, that he saith, "It is not possible any other notion of this doctrine should have truth in it" (p. 226). O this Jesus! This rock of offence! But he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
But blessed be G.o.d for Jesus Christ, and for that he took our nature, and sin, and curse, and death upon him: And for that he did also by himself, by one offering purge our sins. We that have believed have found rest, even there where G.o.d and his Father hath smelled a sweet savour of rest; because we are presented to G.o.d, even now complete in the righteousness of him, and stand discharged of guilt, even by the faith of him: yea, as sins past, so sins to come, were taken up and satisfied for, by that offering of the body of Jesus, we who have had a due sense of sins, and of the nature of the justice of G.o.d, we know that no remission of the guilt of any one can be, but by atonement made by blood (Heb 9:22). We also know that where faith in Jesus Christ is wanting, there can be neither good principle, nor good endeavour. For faith is the first of all graces, and without it there is nothing but sin (Rom 14:23). We know also, that faith as a grace in us, severed from the righteousness of Christ, is only a beholder of things, but not a justifier of persons, and that if it lay not hold of, and applieth not that righteousness which is in Christ, it carrieth us no farther than to the [faith of] devils. We know that this doctrine killeth sin, and curseth it at the very roots; I say we know it, "who have mourned over him whom WE have pierced" (Zech 12:10), and who have been confounded to see that G.o.d by his blood should be pacified towards us for all the wickedness we have done (Eze 16:63). Yea, we have a double motive to be holy and humble before him; one because he died for us on earth, another because he now appears for us in heaven, there sprinkling for us the mercy seat with his blood, there ever-living to make intercession for them that come unto G.o.d by him. "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our sins" (1 John 2:1,2). Yet this worketh in us no looseness, nor favour to sin, but so much the more an abhorrence of it: "She loveth much, for much was forgiven her"
(Luke 7:47). Yea, she weeps, she washeth his feet, and wipeth them with the hairs of her head, to the confounding of Simon the pharisee, and all such ignorant hypocrites.
[The Bible the only measure and standard of truth.]