The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

But it is fiercely objected against what we have asserted, that if the Guilt of our sins was imputed unto Christ, then was he constituted a sinner thereby; for it is the Guilt of sin that makes any one to be truly a sinner. This is urged by ⟨p. 283⟩Bellarmin; lib. 2. de Justificat. not for its own sake, but to disprove the Imputation of his Righteousness unto us, as it is continued by others with the same design. For, saith he, if we be made Righteous, and the Children of God through the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ, then was he made a sinner, & quod horret animus cogitare, filius Diaboli; by the Imputation of the Guilt of our sins, or our Unrighteousness unto him. And the same Objection is pressed by others, with instances of consequences, which for many Reasons I heartily wish had been forborne. But I answer,

But it is fiercely objected against what we have asserted, that if the Guilt of our sins was imputed unto Christ, then was he constituted a sinner thereby; for it is the Guilt of sin that makes any one to be truly a sinner. This is urged by ⟨p. 283⟩Bellarmin; lib. 2. de Justificat. not for its own sake, but to disprove the Imputation of his Righteousness unto us, as it is continued by others with the same design. For, saith he, if we be made Righteous, and the Children of God through the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ, then was he made a sinner, & quod horret animus cogitare, filius Diaboli; by the Imputation of the Guilt of our sins, or our Ʋnrighteousness unto him. And the same Objection is pressed by others, with instances of consequences, which for many Reasons I heartily wish had been forborn. But I answer,

1. Nothing is more absolutely true, nothing is more sacredly or assuredly believed by us, then, that nothing which Christ did or suffered, nothing that he undertook or underwent, did or could constitute him, subjectively, inherently, and thereon personally a sinner, or guilty of any sin of his own. To bear the Guilt or Blame of other mens faults, to be alienae culpae reus, makes no man a sinner, unless he did unwisely or irregularly undertake it. But that Christ should admit of any thing of sin in himself, as it is absolutely inconsistent with the Hypostatical Union, so it would render him unmeet for all other Duties of his Office,