Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the moral law and the covenants, from the…Vindiciae legis, or, A vindication of the morall law and the covenants, from the…

Besides, Christ dyed not only to justify, but save us: now will they hence therefore infer, that profane men, living so, and dying so, shall be saved? And indeed the grand principle, That Christ hath purchased and obtained all graces antecedently to us, in their sense, will as necessarily infer, that a drunkard, abiding a drunkard, shall be saved, as well as justified.

Besides, Christ dyed not only to justifie, but save us: now will they hence therefore inferre, that profane men, living so, and dying so, shall be saved? And indeed the grand principle, That Christ hath purchased and obtained all graces antecedently to us, in their sense, will as necessarily inferre, that a drunkard, abiding a drunkard, shall be saved, as well as justified.

But, thirdly, to answer that place, When it is said, that Christ dyed, and rose again for sinners, you must know, that this is the meritorious cause of our pardon and salvation; but, besides this cause, there are other causes instrumental, that go to the whole work of Justification: Therefore some Divines, as they speak of a conversion passive and active, so also of a justification active and passive; and passive they call, when not only the meritorious cause, but the instrument applying is also present, then the person is justified. Now these speak of Christs death as an universal meritorious cause, without any application of Christs death unto this or that soul: Therefore still you must carry this along with you, that, to that grand mercy of justification, something is requisite as the efficient, viz. the grace of God; something as meritorious, viz. Christs suffering; something as instrumental, viz. faith; and one is as necessary as the other.

But, thirdly, to answer that place, When it is said, that Christ dyed, and rose again for sinners, you must know, that this is the meritorious cause of our pardon and salvation; but, besides this cause, there are other causes instrumentall, that go to the whole work of Justification: Therefore some Divines, as they speak of a conversion passive and active, so also of a justification active and passive; and passive they call, when not onely the meritorious cause, but the instrument applying is also present, then the person is justified. Now these speak of Christs death as an universall meritorious cause, without any application of Christs death unto this or that soule: Therefore still you must carry this along with you, that, to that grand mercy of justification, something is requisite as the efficient, viz. the grace of God; something as meritorious, viz. Christs suffering; something as instrumentall, viz. faith; and one is as necessary as the other.