union or oneness, which the elect have with Chrift by faith, they are accounted to have done and suffered, whatever Chrift did and fuffered for them.

flow abfo

to life.

XXXII. Elect finners, deftitute of any righteoufnefs Hence of their own, that is, not having in themfelves that, lution for which they can have a right to eternal life, are from puby faith found in Chrift, having that righteousness, nifhment which is thro' the faith of Christ, the righteousness and an adwhich is of God by faith, Phil. 3. 9: and that in this judication manner, namely, they are acquitted from obnoxioufnefs to eternal death, on account of the voluntary fufferings of Chrift, which were compleated by a most cruel and dreadful death. Original fin is pardoned, and the foul prefented unfpotted before God, on account of his moft pure nativity being conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin. Eternal life is adjudged to be communicated to them in certain degrees of it, on account of the most perfect obedience of his whole life. This is the fum of this myftery, which being comprehended in a few words, we have thought proper thus to lay before the readers contemplation, as it were, in one view. But there are not a few things which require a fuller explication. e

And

is God.

XXXIII. The JUDGE in this caufe is God, Rom. The judge 8. 33. Ifa. 43. 25. For, he is that one law-giver,' who is able to fave, and to destroy Fam. 4. 12. as he alone has a right and power to inflict due punishment on the finner, fo likewife heal one has a right to acquit him; because he is the judge of the whole world, Rom. 3. 6.

ther.

'XXXIV. What is in general faid of God, essentially The faconfidered, is especially appropriated to the father, confidered bypoftatically or perfonally, who is the juftifier of him, which believeth in Jefus, Rom. 3. 26: and who was in Chrift reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trefpaffes unto them, 2 Cor. 5. 19. Where the diftinction made of God from Chrift fufficiently fhews, that God the father is there meant.

Reason

The Son

Ghoft.

Reafon alfo requires, that juftification be especially afcribed to God the father. For, Jefus Chrift, the Son of God, appears in judgment in behalf of the guilty, as furety, as advocate, and in fine, as furnishing them with those evident proofs, by which they may be able to demonstrate, that divine justice has been fatisfied for them. The Holy Ghost, by working faith in the guilty, makes them to lay hold on, and present the furety and his fatisfaction in, judgment. And in this refpect both ftand on the fide of the guilty. But the Father acts as judge, who righteously, and at the fame time mercifully, abfolves the guilty, on account of the fatisfaction of the fon, apprehended by the power of the Holy Spirit.

XXXV. But a certain perfon has rafhly afferted, that the fon and Holy Ghost cannot, for the reasons above mentioned, at the part of judge, and pronounce fentence. For, in the ceconomy of our falvation, the perfons in the Trinity sustain various relations, which are to be reconciled with, and not placed in oppofition to each other. He who fometimes is defcribed as SURETY, is, at other times, reprefented as JUDGE, John 5. 22, 27. And indeed, Chrift himfelf claims the power of forgiving fins, Mat. 9. 2. And, in the day of the general judgment, himself will peremptorily pronounce the justifying fentence upon the elect. Nor is it inconfiftent for one and the fame perfon to be both the meritorious caufe of juftification, and the advocate of the guilty, and, at the fame time, the judge of the caufe. All thefe relations agree in one Chrift, and teach us that fulness of falvation, which is to be found in him.

And Holy XXXVI. The Holy Ghoft alfo hath his own proper parts in this matter, for it is he who brings in and feals that fentence of abfolution, pronounced in the court of heaven, to and upon the believing foul in the court of confcience, and fo pacifies and cheers it; he fhews it the things that are freely given

to it of God, I Cor. 2. 12, and bears witness with the Spirit of believers, Rom. 8. 16, that they are reconciled to God. Hence it appears, that none of the divine perfons are to be excluded from pronouncing fentence.

that for

XXXVII. That thing, for which we are juftified, Therightand which fome call the MATTER of our juftification, coufnels of is the perfect righteoufness of Chrift alone: this Chrift, Christ finished for his elect, for their fakes fanctifying which we bimself, John 17. 19. The father imputes the fame are juftito his chofen people, as he imputed their fins to fied. Chrift: be bath made him to be fin for us, who knew no fin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in bim, 2 Cor. 5. 21. But it is impoffible to explain, how Chrift was made fin for us, unless in that fenfe, in which our fins are imputed to him, that he might fuffer for them; and we are made righteoufness in him, in the fame manner, that, his righteoufnefs is imputed to us, that, on account of it, we may receive the crown. It is evident that, in fcripture, the righteoufnefs of Chrift is called our righteousness: for, he is the Lord OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, Jer. 23. 6: be of God is made unto us righteoufnefs 1 Cor. 1. 30. Now it is ours either inherently, or by imputation, for there can be no third way: it is not ours inbe rently; for, in that fenfe, Paul oppofes it to ours, Phil. 3. 9, nor does the nature of the thing admit, that acts, performed by Chrift, can inherently be ours. It therefore remains, that it is ours by imputation; God imputing to man righteoufnefs without works, Rom. 4.

6.

erroneouf

XXXVIII. Arminius, by his fubtlety, frames vain Which empty quibbles, when he contends, that the right- Arminius eoufnefs of Chrift cannot be imputed to us for rightly denies eoufnefs, because it is his very righteoufnefs; laying can be this down as a foundation, that what is imputed to imputed us for righteoufnefs, is not properly our righteoufness, to us. Which none will admit, who has confidered, that every judgment of God is according to truth:

whence

And fince

fect, no

whence it follows, that nothing can be imputed to any one for righteoufnefs, which is not really righteousness. But it is imputed to us, that is, put to our account, as if it was ours: for, tho' it was not performed by us, yet it was performed by Chrift for us, and in our room. Nor in doing this, does God judge otherwife than as the thing is; for, he judges not, that we, in our own perfon, have fulfilled that righteoufnels, which is not true; but that Chrift has fo fulfilled it for us, as that, by the merit thereof, we may juftly be rewarded. This is fo true, that it is the fum of the whole Gofpel.

:

XXXIX. And whereas that righteousness of it is per- Chrift is in every respect compleat, and God has work of knowledged, that full fatisfaction was made to his law ours can to the very utmoft, when he raised Chrift from the be joined. dead, and called him his righteous fervant; it is not ne

us.

1

ceffary that any thing, to come from us should acquire
either freedom from punishment, or a right to life,
I add, that it could not in justice be demanded of
For as the least farthing cannot be demanded
by the principal creditor after the furety has paid
him in full for the debtor. It therefore appears,
that they do injury, both to the fatisfaction of
Chrift, and to the juftice of God, who contend, that
any thing is to be done by men, that is to be added
to the merits of Chrift, as the matter of our justifi-
cation. For if, by the fatisfaction of Chrift, the
demand of the law, which prefcribes the condition of
life, is perfectly fulfilled, nothing can, or ought,
to be joined thereto; that the glory may remain pure
and entire to Chrift alone. If there was but the
least thing wanting in Chrift's fatisfaction, which
the law required for righteoufnefs, it would not
deferve even the name of fatisfaction; nor would
Christ have merited any thing, either for himself, or
for us.
For, nothing is admitted in this judg-

ment,

ment, but what anfwers all the demands of the law.

1

of Chrift

and our

XL. The fcripture confirms this truth, when it The grace fets the grace of Chrift in diametrical oppofition to our works, maintaining, that there can be no works dimixture of the one with the other. If righteousness ametricalcomes by the law, faith the Apostle, that is, if, byly oppoour works, we can acquire a right to life eternal, fite. then Chrift is dead in vain, Gal. 2. 21. And more clearly Rom. 11, 6, and if by grace, then it is no more of works, otherwife grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace; otherwife work is no more work. In order clearly to difcern the force of the Apoftle's inference, it is to be obferved, that there are but two ways, by which we can come to the poffeffion of falvation, according to the two covenants entered into between God and man. For, either one has a right to life, because he has fully fatisfied the demand of the law, according to the covenant of works; and to him that thus worketh, is the reward reckoned of debt, Rom. 4. 4. Or he hath a right to life, because the furety of a better reftament has made fatisfaction for him, which, of pure grace and moft unmerited favour is imputed to him, who worketh not, in order to acquire that right, 0.5 according to the covenant of grace. As thefe covenants do, in the whole effence of them differ, and, in this refpect, are contradiftinguifhed from, and fet in oppofition to, each other, it is evident, they conjoin inconfiftencies, who would join together our works with the grace of God, our righteoufne's with the righteoufnels of Chrift, in the matter of juftification.

Δωρεάν

XLI. And indeed, the Apoftle exprefsly declares, Auper that there is nothing in us, that can here come into what it the account, Rom 3. 24, juftified FREELY by bis fignifies. grace. In refpect of God it is of pure grace, which, as we just faid, admits of no partnership with our works. In refpect of us, it is freely, without any