The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

But to return from this Digression; That wherein all the precedent causes of the Union between Christ and Believers, whence they become one mystical person, do centre, and whereby they are rendered a complete foundation of the Imputation of their sins unto him, and of his Righteousness unto them, is the Communication of his Spirit, the same Spirit that ⟨p. 276⟩dwelleth in him, unto them, to abide in, to animate and guide the whole mystical Body and all its Members. But this hath of late been so much spoken unto, as that I shall do no more but mention it.

But to return from this Digression; That wherein all the precedent causes of the Ʋnion between Christ and Believers, whence they become one mystical person, do center, and whereby they are rendred a compleat foundation of the Imputation of their sins unto him, and of his Righteousness unto them, is the Communication of his Spirit, the same Spirit that ⟨p. 276⟩dwelleth in him, unto them, to abide in, to animate and guide the whole mystical Body and all its Members. But this hath of late been so much spoken unto, as that I shall do no more but mention it.

On the considerations insisted on, whereby the Lord Christ became one mystical Person with the Church, or bare the Person of the Church in what he did as Mediator, in the Holy Wise disposal of God as the Author of the Law, the supreme Rector or Governor of all mankind, as unto their Temporal and Eternal concernments, and by his own consent, the sins of all the Elect were imputed unto him. This having been the Faith and Language of the Church in all Ages, and that derived from and founded in express Testimonies of Scripture, with all the Promises and Presignations of his Exhibition in the flesh from the beginning, cannot now with any Modesty be expressly denied. Wherefore the Socinians themselves grant that our sins may be said to be imputed unto Christ, and he to undergo the punishment of them, so far as that all things which befell him Evil and Afflictive in this life, with the Death which he underwent, were occasioned by our sins. For had not we sinned, there had been no need of, nor occasion for his suffering. But notwithstanding this concession they expressly deny his satisfaction, or that properly he underwent the punishment due unto our sins; wherein they deny also all Imputation of them unto him. Others say that our sins were imputed unto him, quoad reatum poenae, but not quoad reatum culpae. But I must acknowledge that unto me this distinction gives inanem sine meant sonum. The substance of it is much insisted on by Fevardentius, Dialog. 5. pag. 467. And he is followed by others. That which he would prove by it, is, That the Lord Christ did not present himself before the Throne of God, with the burden of our sins upon him, so as to answer unto the Justice of God for them. Whereas therefore reatus, or guilt, may signify either Dignitatem poenae