A26977:131
Of the imputation of Christ's righteousness to believers in what sense [sic] sound Protestants…Of the imputation of Christ's righteousness to believers in what sence [sic] sound Protestants…
Of the imputation of Christ's righteousness to believers in what sense [sic] sound Protestants hold it and of the false devised sense by which libertines subvert the Gospel : with an answer to some common objections, especially of Dr. Thomas Tully whose Justif. Paulina occasioneth the publication of this / by Richard Baxter a compassionate lamenter of the Church's wounds caused by hasty judging ... and by the theological wars which are hereby raised and managed ...Of the imputation of Christ's righteousness to believers in what sence [sic] sound Protestants hold it and of the false divised sence by which libertines subvert the Gospel : with an answer to some common objections, especially of Dr. Thomas Tully whose Justif. Paulina occasioneth the publication of this / by Richard Baxter a compassionate lamenter of the Church's wounds caused by hasty judging ... and by the theological wars which are hereby raised and managed ...
London: printed for Nevil Simmons and Jonathan Robinson, 1675
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. We must distinguish of Christs Righteousness, ⟨p. 51⟩which is either so called, formally and properly, which is the Relation of Christs person to his Law of Mediation imposed on him. 1. As Innocent and a perfect obeyer; 2. As one that deserved not punishment, but deserved Reward. Or it is so called materially and improperly; which is, Those same Habits, Acts and Sufferings of Christ, from which his Relation of Righteous did result.
3. We must distinguish of Imputation, which signifieth (here) 1. To repute us personally to have been the Agents of Christs Acts, the subjects of his Habits and Passion in a Physical sense. 2. Or to repute the same formal Relation of Righteousness which was in Christs person, to be in ours as the subject. 3. Or to repute us to have been the very subjects of Christ's Habits and Passion, and the Agents of his Acts in a Political or Moral sense, (and not a physical); as a man payeth a debt by his Servant, or Attorney, or Delegate. 4. And consequently to repute a double formal Righteousness to result from the said Habits, Acts, and Passions; one to Christ as the natural Subject and Agent, and another to us as the Moral, Political, or reputed Subject and Agent (And so his Formal Righteousness not to be imputed to us in it self as ours, but another to result from the same Matter.) 5. Or else that we are reputed both the Agents and Subjects of the Matter of his Righteousness, morally, and also of the Formal Righteousness of Christ himself. 6. Or else by Imputation is meant here, that Christ being truly reputed to have taken the Nature of sinful man, and become a Head for all true Believers, in that undertaken Nature and Office in the Person of a Mediator, to have fulfilled all the Law imposed on him, by perfect Holiness ⟨p. 52⟩and Obedience, and Offering himself on the Cross a Sacrifice for our sins, voluntarily suffering in our stead, as if he had been a sinner, (guilty of all our sins) As soon as we believe we are pardoned, justified, adopted for the sake and merit of this Holiness, Obedience and penal Satisfaction of Christ, with as full demonstration of divine Justice, at least, and more full demonstration of his Wisdom and Mercy, than if we had suffered our selves what our sins deserved (that is, been damned) or had never sinned: And so Righteousness is imputed to us, that is, we are accounted or reputed righteous, (not in relation to the Precept, that is, innocent, or sinless, but in relation to the Retribution, that is, such as have Right to Impunity and Life,) because Christ's foresaid perfect Holiness, Obedience and Satisfaction, merited our Pardon, and Adoption, and the Spirit; or merited the New-Covenant, by which, as an Instrument, Pardon, Justification and Adoption are given to Believers, and the Spirit to be given to sanctify them: