Of free justification

Even as with a like diversity the Scripture sometimes names them dead, whom humane Philosophy would judge to be alive, and in perfect health. Suffer ye, Saith he, the dead to bury their dead. But pray how dead? who, ⟨p. 108⟩unless they were alive, they could not bury their dead? What shall we then say? that the Scripture lies, in calling them dead, which were alive? Or does that Jesuitical Rule rather lye, which judges those alive by reason of their inherent qualities, whom the Scripture calls dead? How shall these things, so contrary to one another, agree together? But that it is one thing to live, to be dead, and to be righteous before God, and another thing before Men. The Books of Holy Scripture are full of such Examples, and they have been often heard of and seen by Men; and yet after all these things, those pleasant Gymnosophists deny, that this external attribution was ever heard of since the World was, that a thing should receive a name extrinsically from qualities, whose nature is to be within. Is it so indeed that this was not heard of since the beginning of the World? what do I hear? have ye not then, good men, read these words of the Apostle in the Holy Scriptures of God? By the disobedience of one man many were made sinners; and again, by the obedience of one man many shall be made Righteous. I pray you, what is the meaning of these words, by the disobedience of one many are sinners? Again, by the obedience of one many are righteous? Does this attribution seem internal to you, or rather external? was that rebellion peculiar to Adam, or was it ours? If it was ours, how was it ours, but by external imputation? What? when you hear these words of the Apostle: He made Christ to become sin ⟨p. 109⟩for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God through him, ¹&c. Did either of us receive from qualities that can be said to be within; he, that he was made sin, or we, that we are called and made righteousness through him? Moreover, what is that, when the Publican in the Gospel is said to have gone to his house justified rather than the Pharisee? what was the cause why the one went away justified, and the other went away unjustified? I think it came not so to pass by a habit of inherent righteousness, but upon this account rather, because the Publican confessed his own unrighteousness, therefore of wicked he is made righteous;