An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…

1. God the righteous Judge proceeds judicially in Justification, his judgment is according to truth, Rom. 2. 2. he esteems no man righteous which is not such, nor doth he account an imperfect Righteousness to be a perfect one, such as justifies before him: Hence it appears, that our inherent Graces, because imperfect, cannot be our Righteousness or the matter of our Justification; and what then shall we do? How may we be justified before him? Must not the perfect Righteousness of Christ come in, and, to make it ours, a divine Imputation! No other expedient can be thought of, because there must be a Righteousness, and a perfect one to justify us, If any reply, That in and through Christ, our inherent ⟨p. 301⟩Graces, though imperfect, are accepted of God in the room of a perfect Righteousness, I answer, God is merciful, but his Mercy never clashes with his Truth, which calls for a perfect Righteousness; He accepts of our Graces, but they must pass (as St. Austin saith of our Life) sub veniâ, under pardon, and under the Wings of Christ; he accepts them, but not as the Matter of our Justification, nor in the room of Christs perfect Righteousness: Justification of Life comes [Greek or Hebrew], by one righteousness, as that place may be read, Rom. 5.18. and that one only Righteousness is the perfect Obedience of Christ, no other Righteousness may take away its Crown. But further, should God accept of an imperfect Righteousness in Justification, some I fear might ask, why he could not abate a little more, and accept of a No-righteousness? why he could not pardon & justify wilful and impenitent sinners? which the impure Socinus himself will not allow of? yet, if the true & holy one might decline from a perfect Righteousness in Justification, what may not men imagine or presume upon?

1. God the righteous Judge proceeds judicially in Justification, his judgment is according to truth, Rom. 2. 2. he esteems no man righteous which is not such, nor doth he account an imperfect Righteousness to be a perfect one, such as justifies before him: Hence it appears, that our inherent Graces, because imperfect, cannot be our Righteousness or the matter of our Justification; and what then shall we doe? How may we be justified before him? Must not the perfect Righteousness of Christ come in, and, to make it ours, a divine Imputation! No other expedient can be thought of, because there must be a Righteousness, and a perfect one to justifie us, If any reply, That in and through Christ, our inherent