II. It is pretended to be useless from hence, because all " our sins of omission and commission being pardoned in our justification on the account of the death and satisfaction of Christ, we are thereby made completely righteous; so as that there is not the least necessity fcfTf, or use of, the imputation of the obedience of Christ unto us."
III. Pernicious also they say it is, as that which takes away " the necessity of our own personal obedience, introducing antinomianism, libertinism, and all manner of evils."
For this last part of the charge, I refer it unto its proper place; for although it be urged by some against this part of the doctrine of
THE IMPUTATION OF CHRIST'S OBEDIENCE. 253
justification in a peculiar manner, yet is it managed by others against the whole of it. And although we should grant that the obedience of Christ unto the law is not imputed unto us unto our justification, yet shall we not be freed from disturbance by this false accusation, imless we will renounce the Avhole of the satisfaction and merit of Christ also ; and we intend not to purchase our peace with the whole world at so dear a rate. Wherefore, I shall in its proper place give this part of the charge its due consideration, as it reflects on the whole doctrine of justification, and all the causes thereof, which we believe and profess.
I. The first part of this charge, concerning the impossibility of the imputation of the obedience of Christ unto us, is insisted on by So- cinus de Servat, part iii. cap. 5. And there hath been nothing since pleaded unto the same purpose but what hath been derived from him, or wherein, at least, he hath not prevented the inventions of other men, and gone before them. And he makes this consideration the principal engine wherewith he endeavours the overthrow of the whole doctrine of the merit of Christ; for he supposeth that if all he did in a way of obedience was due from himself on his own ac- count, and was only the duty which he owed unto God for himself in his station and circumstances, as a man in this world, it cannot be meritorious for us, nor any way imputed unto us. And in like man- ner, to weaken the doctrine of his satisfaction, and the imputation thereof unto us, he contends that Christ offered as a priest for him- self, in that kind of ofl^ering which he made on the cross, part ii. cap. 22. And his real opinion was, that whatever was of offering or sacrifice in the death of Christ, it was for himself; that is, it was an act of obedience unto God, which pleased him, as the savour of a sweet-smelling sacrifice. His offering for us is only the presentation of himself in the presence of God in heaven ; now he hath no more to do for himself in a way of duty. And the truth is, if the obedi- ence of Christ had respect unto himself only, — that is, if he yielded it unto God on the necessity of his condition, and did not do it for us, — I see no foundation left to assert his merit upon, no more than I do for the imputation of it unto them that believe.
That which we plead is, that the Lord Christ fidfilled the luhole law for us; he did not only undergo the penalty of it due unto our sins, but also yielded that perfect obedience which it did require. And herein I shall not immix myself in the debate of the distinction between the active and passive obedience of Christ ; for he exercised the highest active obedience in his suffering, when he offered himself to God through the eternal Spirit. And all his obedience, considering his person, was mixed with suffering, as a part of his exinanition and humiliation ; whence it is said, that " though he were a Son, yet
254 ON JUSTIFICATION.
learned he obedience by the things which he suffered." And how- ever doing and suffering are in various categories of things, yet Scripture testimonies are not to be regulated by j)hilosophical arti- fices and terms. And it must needs be said, that the sufferings of Christ, as they were purely penal, are imperfectly called his passive righteousness; for all righteousness is either in habit or in action, Avhereof suffering is neither ; nor is any man righteous, or so esteemed, from what he suffereth. Neither do sufferings give satisfaction unto the commands of the law, which require only obedience. And hence it will unavoidably follow, that we have need of more than the mere sufferings of Christ, whereby we may be justified before God, if so be that any righteousness be required thereunto ; but the whole of what I intend is, that Christ's fulfilling of the law, in obedience unto its commands, is no less imputed unto us for our justification than his undergoing the penalty of it is.
I cannot but judge it sounds ill in the ears of all Christians, " That the obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ, as our mediator and surety, unto the whole law of God, was for himself alone, and not for us ;" or, that what he did therein was not that he might be the end of the law for righteousness unto them that do believe, nor a means of the fulfilling of the righteousness of the law in us ; — especially consider- ing that the faith of the church is, that he was given to us, born to us; that for us men, and for our salvation, he came down from hea- ven, and did and suffered what was required of him. But whereas some who deny the imputation of the obedience of Christ unto us for our justification, do insist principally on the second thing men- tioned,— namely, the unusefulness of it, — I shall under this part of the charge consider only the arguings of Socinus; which is the whole of what some at present do endeavour to perplex the truth withal.