Eighteen sermons preached in Oxford 1640 of conversion, unto God. Of redemption, & justification,…

Sol. I answer; for my own part I think Justification is one simple act of God, and that it is improperly distinguished as parts; but rather as terminus a quo is distinct from terminus ad quem. And this I shall show unto you both by reason and authority, that faith is but one act.

Sol. I answer; for my own part I think Justification is one simple act of God, and that it is improperly distinguished as parts; but rather as terminus a quo is distinct from terminus ad quem. And this I shall shew unto you both by reason and authority, that faith is but one act.

Let none say that I take away the imputation of the righteousness of Christ; No: the bringing in of light, and the expulsion of darkness is not two acts, but one; but there is terminus á quo, and terminus ad quem. We are accounted righteous, and that is, we have our sins forgiven. And the reason is this; if sin were a positive thing, and had a being in it self, then the forgiveness of sin must be a thing distinct from the imputation of righteousness. Scholars know the difference between adversa and privantia; white and black are both existent; but darkness ⟨p. 400⟩and light are not, but only a privation one of another, Darkness is nothing of it self but the absence of light; The bringing in of light is the suppression of it; you must understand sin hath no being, no entity; it's only an absence of righteousness, the want of that light which should be in the subject; which want is either in our nature, and then it's called original; or in our person and actions, and then its called actual transgression. Sin is an absence of that positive being, which is, as I said, either in our nature, or works. Then thus I will resolve you in another point: viz. If sin were a positive thing, all the world cannot avoid it but God must be the Author of it; for there is nothing can have a being, but it must derive its being from the first being, God. Now how can we avoid Gods being the Author of sin? Why thus, it is nothing.

Let none say that I take away the imputation of the righteousnesse of Christ; No: the bringing in of light, and the expulsion of darknesse is not two acts, but one; but there is terminus á quo, and terminus ad quem. We are accounted righteous, and that is, we have our sinnes forgiven. And the reason is this; if sinne were a positive thing, and had a being in it self, then the forgivenesse of sin must be a thing distinct from the imputation of righteousnesse. Scholars know the difference between adversa and privantia; white and black are both existent; but darknesse