The true doctrine of justification asserted and vindicated, from the errors of Papists, Arminians,…The true doctrine of justification asserted and vindicated, from the errours of Papists, Arminians,…

To this purpose the learned Zanchy in his Explication of the ⟨p. 176⟩second Chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians, upon those words, vers. 5. [And you being dead in sin, he hath quickened together with Christ] doth in the first place distinguish of a two-fold quickening, One whereby we are freed from the guilt of sin, and invested with a title or right to eternal life; The other from the power of sin, whereby we are made spiritually alive to God. The former is Justification, the later Sanctification. Now (saith he) this two-fold blessing is to be considered in Christ, and in our own persons. In the first respect, God did quicken us in Christ, when by his death (sin being expiated) he freed from guilt all the elect that have been and shall be, considering them as members in Christ their head. In the later respect, God doth it, when having given us faith, he gives us also remission of sins, and imputeth Christs righteousness to us. And afterwards the fore-quoted Author, making this Objection to himself, How Christ could be said to be freed from the guilt of sin, who had no sin? He answereth, The person of Christ is considered two ways; First, in it self, as God-man, and so Christ was not bound by any guilt. Secondly, as appointed head, and so representing our persons. In this respect, as God laid our iniquities upon him, Isa. 55. So when they were expiated by his blood, then was he released from the guilt of those sins. We might instance in other Authors, but these may suffice to certify, that some orthodox and learned Divines do hold a Justification of the elect in Christ their head, before they do believe, yet so, as they acknowledge also a necessity of a personal Justification by faith, applying this righteousness to the person justified. Therefore although this Doctrine pass for true,¹ yet it will not strengthen the Antinomists. Although even the truth of this opinion may modestly be questioned, unless by being justified in Christ our head, we mean no more, then that Christ purchased by way of satisfaction our Justification for us, and so virtually we were justified in Christs death and resurrection. But the learned men of that opinion, speak as if God then passed a formal Justification upon all (though afterwards to be applied) that are elected; even as in Adam sinning all his posterity were formally to be accounted sinners.