The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

That which we plead is, That the Lord Christ fulfilled the whole Law for us; he did not only undergo the penalty of it due unto our sins, but also yielded that perfect Obedience which it did require. And herein I shall not immix my self in the debate of the distinction between the Active and Passive Obedience of Christ. For he exercised the highest Active Obedience in his suffering, when he offered himself to God through the Eternal Spirit. And all his Obedience, considering his Person was mixed with suffering, as a part of his Exinanition and Humiliation; whence it is said, That though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things that he suffered. And however, doing and suffering are in various categories of things, yet Scripture testimonies are not to be regulated by Philosophical artifices and terms. And it must needs be said, that the Sufferings of Christ as they were purely penal, are imperfectly called His passive Righteousness. For all Righteousness is either in habit, or in action, whereof suffering is neither; nor is any Man righteous, or so esteemed from what he suffereth. Neither do sufferings give satisfaction unto the commands of the Law, which require only Obedience. And hence it will unavoidably follow, that we have need of more then the mere sufferings of Christ, whereby we may be justified before God, if so be that any Righteousness be required thereunto. But the whole of what I intend is, That Christs fulfilling of the Law in Obedience unto its commands, is no less imputed unto us for our Justification, then his undergoing the Penalty of it is.

That which we plead is, That the Lord Christ fulfilled the whole Law for us; he did not only undergo the penalty of it due unto our sins, but also yielded that perfect Obedience which it did require. And herein I shall not immix my self in the debate of the distinction between the Active and Passive Obedience of Christ. For he exercised the highest Active Obedience in his suffering, when he offered himself to God through the Eternal Spirit. And all his Obedience, considering his Person was mixed with suffering, as a part of his Exinanition and Humiliation; whence it is said, That though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things that he suffered. And however, doing and suffering are in various categories of things, yet Scripture testimonies are not to be regulated by Philosophical artifices and terms. And it must needs be said, that the Sufferings of Christ as they were purely penal, are imperfectly called His passive Righteousness. For all Righteousness is either in habit, or in action, whereof suffering is neither; nor is any Man righteous, or so esteemed from what he suffereth. Neither do sufferings give satisfaction unto the commands of the Law, which require only Obedience. And hence it will unavoidably follow, that we have need of more then the meer sufferings of Christ, whereby we may be justified before God, if so be that any Righteousness be required thereunto. But the whole of what I intend is, That Christs fulfilling of the Law in Obedience unto its commands, is no less imputed unto us for our Justification, then his undergoing the Penalty of it is.