A89732:852
A discussion of that great point in divinity, the sufferings of Christ; and the…
A discussion of that great point in divinity, the sufferings of Christ; and the question about his righteousness active, passive : and the imputation thereof. Being an answer to a dialogue entitled The meritorious price of redemption, justification, &c. / By John Norton teacher of the church at Ipswich in New-England. Who was appointed to draw up this answer by the general court.A discussion of that great point in divinity, the sufferings of Christ; and the question about his righteousnesse active, passive : and the imputation thereof. Being an answer to a dialogue intituled The meritorious price of redemption, justification, &c. / By John Norton teacher of the church at Ipswich in New-England. Who was appointed to draw up this answer by the generall court.
London: printed by A.M. for Geo. Calvert, 1653
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Dialogu. It's evident that God never propounded the Law of works to the fallen sons of Adam, with any intent at all that ever any of the fallen sons of Adam should seek for justification and atonement in Gods sight by Legal obedience, but his intent was directly contrary, for when he propounded the Legal promise of life eternal to the fallen sons of Adam, he did propound it upon condition of their own personal obedience, to allure them thereby to search into their own natural unrighteousness, by this perfect rule of Legal righteousness, so by this Law of life God intended chiefly to make the soul of the fallen sons of Adam to be sensible of their own spiritual death in corruption and sin, thereby to provoke our souls to seek for life some other way, viz. by the mediation of the Mediator promised; So it follows by good consequence that God did never intend to justify any corrupt son of Adam by Legal obedience done by his own person, nor yet by our Saviours obedience imputed as the formal cause of a sinners justification or righteousness.
Dialogu. It's evident that God never propounded the Law of works to the fallen sons of Adam, with any intent at all that ever any of the fallen sons of Adam should seek for justification and atonement in Gods sight by Legall obedience, but his intent was directly contrary, for when he propounded the Legal promise of life eternal to the fallen sons of Adam, he did propound it upon condition of their own personal obedience, to allure them thereby to search into their own natural unrighteousnesse, by this perfect rule of Legal righteousnesse, so by this Law of life God intended chiefly to make the soul of the fallen sons of Adam to be sensible of their own spiritual death in corruption and sin, thereby to provoke our souls to seek for life some other way, viz. by the mediation of the Mediator promised; So it follows by good consequence that God did never intend to iustifie any corrupt son of Adam by Legal obedience done by his own person, nor yet by our Saviours obedience imputed as the formall cause of a sinners iustification or righteousnesse.
Answ. God propounded the Law of works to man before the fall, with the promise of justification and life, in case of Legal obedience. Though Gods intent in propounding the Law of works to man fallen were, that man should seek that justification which was directly contrary unto Legal righteousness, that nothing opposeth, but rather maketh for justification by the righteousness of Christ; for justification by our own righteousness, and justification by the righteousness of another, are directly contrary in regard