The judgment of the Reformed churches herein is known unto all, and must be confessed, unless we intend by vain cavils to increase and perpetuate contentions. Especially the church of England is in her doctrine express as unto the imputation of the righteousness of Christ, both active and passive, as it is usually distinguished. This hath been of late so fully manifested out of her authentic writings, — that is, the articles of religion, and hooks of homilies, and other writ- ings publicly authorized, — that it is altogether needless to give any farther demonstration of it. Those who pretend themselves to be otherwise minded are such as I will not contend withal ; for to what purpose is it to dispute with men who will deny the sun to shine, when they cannot bear the heat of its beams? Wherefore, in what I have to offer on this subject, I shall not in the least depart from the ancient doctrine of the church of England; yea, I have no design but to declare and vindicate it, as God shall enable.
There are, indeed, sundry differences among persons learned, sober, and orthodox (if that term displease not), in the way and manner of the explication of the doctrine of justification by the imputation of the rigliteousness of Christ, who yet all of them agree in the substance of it, — in all those tilings wherein tlie giuce of God, the honour of Christ, and the peace of the souls of men, are principally concerned. As far as it is possible for me, I shall avoid the concerning of myself
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at present in these differences; for unto what purpose is it to contend about them, whilst the substance of the doctrine itself is openly op- posed and rejected ? Why should we debate about the order and beautifying of the rooms in a house, whilst fire is set unto the whole? When that is well quenched, we may return to the consideration of the best means for the disposal and use of the several parts of it.
There are two grand parties by whom the doctrine of justification by the imputation of the righteousness of Christ is opposed, — namely, the Papists and the Socinians; but they proceed on different prin- ciples, and unto different ends. The design of the one is to exalt their otvn merits; of the other, to destroy the merit of Christ. But besides these, who trade in company, we have many interlopet's, who, coming in on their hand, do make bold to borrow from both as they see occasion. We shall have to do with them all in our progress ; not with the persons of any, nor the way and manner of their expressing themselves, but the opinions of all of them, so far as they are opposite unto the truth: for it is that which wise men despise, and good men bewail, — to see persons pretending unto religion and piety, to cavil at expressions, to contend about words, to endeavour the fastening of opinions on men which they own not, and thereon mutually to revile one another, publishing all to the world as some great achievement or victory. This is not the way to teach the truths of the gospel, nor to promote the edification of the church. But, in general, the importance of the cause to be pleaded, the greatness of the opposition that is made unto the truth, and the high concernment of the souls of believers to be rightly instructed in it, do call for a renewed decla- ration and vindication of it. And what I shall attempt unto this purpose I do it under this persuasion, — that the life and continuance of any church on the one hand, and its apostasy or ruin on the other, do depend in an eminent manner on the preservation or rejection of the truth in this article of religion ; and, I shall add, as it hath been professed, received, and believed in the church of England in former days.
The first thing we are to consider is the meaning of these words, to impide, and imjndation; for, from a mere plain declaration hereof, it will appear that sundry things charged on a supposition of the imputation we plead for are vain and groundless, or the charge itself is so.
3*^n, the word first used to this purpose, signifies to think, to esteem, to judge, or to refer a thing or matter unto any; to impute, or to be imputed, for good or evil. See Lev. vii. 18, xvii. 4, and Ps. cvi. 31. '^i?1>*? ^'' 2?'P^!1, — " And it Avas counted, reckoned, imputed unto him for righteousness;'' to judge or esteem this or that good or evil to belong unto him, to be his. The LXX. express it by
166 ON JUSTIFICATION.
Xoyil^tu and XoyiZ^oiiai, as do the writers of the New Testament also ; and these are rendered by " reputare, imputare, acceptum ferre, tribiiere, assignare, ascribere." But there is a different signification among these words: in particular, to be reputed righteous, and to have righteousness imjmted, differ, as cause and effect; for that any maybe reputed righteous, — that is, be judged or esteemed so to be, — there must be a real foundation of that reputation, or it is a mistake, and not a right judgment; as a man may be reputed to be wise who is a fool, or reputed to be rich who is a beggar. Wherefore, he that is reputed righteous must either have a righteousness of his own, or another antecedently imputed unto him, as the foundation of that reputation. Wherefore, to impute righteousness unto one that hath none of his own, is not to repute him to be righteous who is indeed unrighteous; but it is to communicate a righteousness unto him, that he may rightly and justly be esteemed, judged, or reputed righteous.