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

So that Christ's Righteousness is not the formal cause of our justification; that very Righteousness, whereby we are righteous: But it is the meritorious cause of that Covenant, whereby we are declared Righteous, and rewarded as Righteous; for the Apostle tells us, in vers. 17. who those are, who are thus justified by Christ, and shall reign with him in life; not those who are Righteous by the imputation of ⟨p. 475⟩Christ's Righteousness: But those who have received abundance of Grace, and the gift of Righteousness; that is, who by the Gospel, which is the abundant grace of God, are made holy and righteous, as God is; which Righteousness is called a gift, because it is not owing solely to humane endeavours, but is wrought in us by supernatural means: We are made righteous by the Righteousness of Christ, not that his actual obedience is reckoned as done by us (which is impossible) But because we are made righteous, both in a proper and forensic sense, by the Gospel-Covenant, which is wholly owing to Gods Grace and Christ's Merits and Righteousness: So that the Righteousness of Christ is our Righteousness, when we speak of the foundation of the Covenant, by which we are accepted; but if we speak of the terms of the Covenant, then we must have a righteousness of our own; for the Righteousness of Christ will not serve the turn: Christ's Righteousness and our own, are both necessary to our Salvation; the first as the foundation of the Covenant, the other as the condition of it.

So that Christ's Righteousness is not the formal cause of our justification; that very Righteousness, whereby we are righteous: But it is the meritorious cause of that Covenant, whereby we are declared Righteous, and rewarded as Righteous; for the Apostle tells us, in vers. 17. who those are, who are thus justified by Christ, and shall reign with him in life; not those who are Righteous by the imputation of ⟨p. 475⟩Christ's Righteousness: But those who have received abundance of Grace, and the gift of Righteousness; that is, who by the Gospel, which is the abundant grace of God, are made holy and righteous, as God is; which Righteousness is called a gift, because it is not owing solely to humane endeavours, but is wrought in us by supernatural means: We are made righteous by the Righteousness of Christ, not that his actual obedience is reckoned as done by us (which is impossible) But because we are made righteous, both in a proper and forensick sence, by the Gospel-Covenant, which is wholly owing to Gods Grace and Christ's Merits and Righteousness: So that the Righteousness of Christ is our Righteousness, when we speak of the foundation of the Covenant, by which we are accepted; but if we speak of the terms of the Covenant, then we must have a righteousness of our own; for the Righteousness of Christ will not serve the turn: Christ's Righteousness and our own, are both necessary to our Salvation; the first as the foundation of the Covenant, the other as the condition of it.