The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

And this greatly strengtheneth the Argument, in whose Vindication we are engaged; for we being sinners, we were obnoxious both unto the Command and Curse of the Law. Both must be answered, or we cannot be justified. And as the Lord Christ could not by his most perfect Obedience, satisfy the Curse of the Law, dying thou shalt die; so by the utmost of his suffering, he could not fulfil the command of the Law, Do this and live. Passion as Passion is not Obedience, though there may be Obedience in suffering, as there was in that of Christ unto the height. Wherefore as we plead that the Death of Christ is imputed unto us for our Justification, so we deny that it is imputed unto us for our Righteousness. For by the Imputation of the Sufferings of Christ, our sins are remitted or pardoned, and we are delivered from the Curse of the Law, which he underwent. But we are not thence esteemed just or righteous, which we cannot be without respect unto the fulfilling of the Commands of the Law, or the Obedience by it required. The whole matter is excellently expressed by Grotius in the words before alledged, Cum duo nobis peperisse Christum dixerimus impunitatem & praemium, illud satisfactioni hoc merito Christi distincte tribuit vetus Ecclesia. ⟨p. 384⟩Satisfactio consistit in meritorum translation, meritum in perfectissimae obedientiae pro nobis praestitae imputatione.

And this greatly strengthneth the Argument, in whose Vindication we are ingaged; for we being sinners, we were obnoxious both unto the Command and Curse of the Law. Both must be answered, or we cannot be justified. And as the Lord Christ could not by his most perfect Obedience, satisfie the Curse of the Law, dying thou shalt die; so by the utmost of his suffering, he could not fulfil the command of the Law, Do this and live. Passion as Passion is not Obedience, though there may be Obedience in suffering, as there was in that of Christ unto the height. Wherefore as we plead that the Death of Christ is imputed unto us for our Justification, so we deny that it is imputed unto us for our Righteousness. For by the Imputation of the Sufferings of Christ, our sins are remitted or pardoned, and we are delivered from the Curse of the Law, which he underwent. But we are not thence esteemed just or righteous, which we cannot be without respect unto the fulfilling of the Commands of the Law, or the Obedience by it required. The whole matter is excellently expressed by Grotius in the words before alledged, Cum duo nobis peperisse Christum dixerimus impunitatem & praemium, illud satisfactioni hoc merito Christi distincte tribuit vetus Ecclesia.