The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

Hereon none of the absurdities pretended, which are really such, do at all follow. It doth not so, that Christ in his own person performed every individual Act that we in our circumstances are obliged unto in a way of Duty; nor was there any need that so he should do. This Imputation, as I have showed, stands on other Foundations. Nor doth it follow, that every saved Persons Righteousness before God is the same identically and numerically with Christs in his public capacity as Mediator; For this Objection destroys it self, by affirming that as it was his, it was the Righteousness of God-Man; and so it hath an especial nature as it respects or relates unto his Person. It is the same that Christ in his public capacity did work or effect. But there is a wide difference in the consideration of it, as his absolutely and as made ours. It was formally inherent in him, is only materially imputed unto us. Was actively his, is passively ours; was wrought in the Person of God-man; for the whole Church, is imputed unto each single Believer, as unto his own concernment only. Adams sin as imputed unto us, is not the sin of a Representative, though it be of his that was so; but is the particular sin of every one of us. But this Objection must be further spoken unto where it occurs afterwards. Nor will it follow, that on this supposition we should be accounted to have done, that which was done long before we were in a capacity of doing ⟨p. 312⟩any thing. For what is done for us and in our stead, before we are in any such capacity may be imputed unto us, as is the sin of Adam. And yet there is a manifold sense wherein men may be said to have done what was done for them, and in their name before their actual existence; so that therein is no absurdity. As unto what is added by the way that Christ did not do nor suffer the Idem that we were obliged unto; whereas he did what the Law required, and suffered what the Law threatened unto the disobedient, which is the whole of what we are obliged unto, it will not be so easily proved; nor the Arguments very suddenly answered whereby the contrary hath been confirmed. That Christ did sustain the place of a surety, or was the surety of the New-Covenant, the Scripture doth so expressly affirm, that it cannot be denied. And that there may be sureties in cases criminal, as well as civil and pecuniary, hath been proved before.

Hereon none of the absurdities pretended, which are really such, do at all follow. It doth not so, that Christ in his own person performed every individual Act that we in our circumstances are obliged unto in a way of Duty; nor was there any need that so he should do. This Imputation, as I have shewed, stands on other Foundations. Nor doth it follow, that every saved Persons Righteousness before God is the same identically and numerically with Christs in his publick capacity as Mediator; For this Objection destroys it self, by affirming that as it was his, it was the Righteousness of God-Man; and so it hath an especial nature as it respects or relates unto his Person. It is the same that Christ in his publick capacity did work or effect. But there is a wide difference in the consideration of it, as his absolutely and as made ours. It was formally inherent in him, is only materially imputed unto us. Was actively his, is passively ours; was wrought in the Person of God-man; for the whole Church, is imputed unto each single Believer, as unto his own concernment only. Adams sin as imputed unto us, is not the sin of a Representative, though it be of his that was so; but is the particular sin of every one of us. But this Objection must be further spoken unto where it occurs afterwards. Nor will it follow, that on this supposition we should be accounted to have done, that which was done long before we were in a capacity of doing