The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

That therefore which we affirm herein is, That our sins were so transferred on Christ, as that thereby he became [Greek or Hebrew], Reus, responsible unto God, and obnoxious unto punishment in the justice of God for them. He was alienae culpae reus. Perfectly innocent in himself; but took our Guilt on him, or our obnoxiousness unto punishment for sin. And so he may be, and may be said to be the greatest Debtor in the World who never borrowed nor owed one farthing on his own account, if he become surety for the greatest Debt of others. So Paul became a Debtor unto Philemon, upon his undertaking for Onesimus, who before owed him nothing.

That therefore which we affirm herein is, That our sins were so transferred on Christ, as that thereby he became 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, Reus, responsible unto God, and obnoxious unto punishment in the justice of God for them. He was alienae culpae reus. Perfectly innocent in himself; but took our Guilt on him, or our obnoxiousness unto punishment for sin. And so he may be, and may be said to be the greatest Debtor in the World who never borrowed nor owed one farthing on his own account, if he become surety for the greatest Debt of others. So Paul became a Debtor unto Philemon, upon his undertaking for Onesimus, who before owed him nothing.

And two things concurred unto this Imputation of sin unto Christ. (1) The Act of God imputing it. (2) The voluntary Act of Christ himself in the undertaking of it, or admitting of the charge.

1. The Act of God in this Imputation of the Guilt of our sins unto Christ, is expressed by his laying all our Iniquities upon him, making him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, and the like. For (1) as the supreme Governor, Law-giver, and Judge of all, unto whom it belonged to take care that his holy Law was observed, or the offenders punished, He admitted upon the Transgression of it, the sponsion and suretyship