flow abso.

union or oneness, which the elect have with Christ by faith, they are accounted to have done and suffered, whatever Christ did and suffered for them. · XXXII. Elect finners, destitute of any righteousrefs Hence of their own, that is, not havingin themselves that,

lution for which they can have a right to eternal life, are from puby faith found in Chrift, heving that righteousness, nishment which is thro' the faith of Christ, the righteousness and anadwhich is of God by faith, Phil. 3. 9: and that in this judication manner, namely, they are acquitted from obnoxioufness to eternal death, on account of the voluntary fufferings of Christ, which were compleated by a most cruel and dreadful death. Original fin is pardoned, and the foul presented unspotted before God, on account of his most pure nativity being conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin. Eternal life is adjudged to be communicated to them in certain degrees of it, on account of the most perfect obedience of his whole life. This is the sum of this mystery, which being comprehended in a few words, we have thought proper thus to lay before the readers contemplation, as it were, in one view. But there are not a few things which require a fuller explication.

XXXIII. The Judge in this caufe is God, Rom. The judge 8. 33. Isa. 43. 25. For, he is that one law-giver, is God. who is able to save, and to destroy Jam. 4. 12. And as he alone has a right and power to inflict due punishment on the sinner, so likewise healone has a right to acquit him; because he is the judge of the whole world, Rom. 3. 6.' * XXXIV. What is in general said of God, essentially The fa

. confidered, is especially appropriated to the father, considered bypostatically or personally, who is the justifi r of him, which believeth in Jesus, Rom. 3. 26: and who was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, 2 Cor. 5. 19. Where the distinction made of God from Chris sufficiently shews, that God the father is there meant.

Reason

4

Reason also requires, that justification be especially
afcribed to God the father. For, Jesus Christ, the
Jon of God, appears in judgment in behalf of the
guilty, as surety, as 'advocate, and in fine, as für-
nishing them with those evident proofs, by, which
they may be able to demonstrate, that divine justice
has been fatisfied for them. The Holy Ghost, by
working faith in the guilty, makes them to lay hold
on, and present the surety and his satisfaction in,
judgment. And in this respect both stand on the
side of the guilty. But the Father acts as jüdse, who
righteously, and at the same time mercifully, absolves
the guilty, on account of the satisfaction of the son,

apprehended by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Son XXXV. But a certain person has rafhly asserted,

that the son and Holy Ghost cannot, for the reasons,
above mentioned, act the part of judge, and pro-
nounce sentence. For, in the ceconomy of our
salvation, the persons in the Trinity sustain various
relations, which are to be reconciled with, and not
placed in opposition to each other. He who fome,
times is described as SURETY, is, at other times,
represented as judge, John 5. 22, 27. And indeed,
Christ himself claims the power of forgiving fins, Mat.
9. 2. And, in the day of the general judgment,
himself will peremptorily pronounce the justifying
sentence upon the elect. Nor is it inconsistent for
one and the same person to be both the meritorious
cause of justification, and the advocate'of the guilty,
and, at the same time, the judge of the cause. All
these relations agree in one Christ, and teach us
that fulness of salvation, which is to be found in

him.
And Holy XXXV). The Holy Ghost also hath his own

proper parts in this matter, for it is he who brings
in and seals that sentence of absolution, pronounced
in the court of heaven, to and upon the believing
soul in the court of conscience, and so pacifies and
cheers it; he fhews it the things that are freely given

Ghost.

that for

to it of God, i Cor. 2. 12, and bears witness with the Spirit of believers, Rom. 8. 16, that they are reconciled to God. Hence it appears, that none of the divine persons are to be excluded from pronouncing sentence.

XXXVII. That thing, for which we are justified, Therightand which some call the MATTER of our justification, cousness of is, the perfcct righteousness of Christ alone: this

Christ, Christ finished for his elect, for their sakes fan&tifying which we bimself, John 17. 19. The father imputes the same are juftito his chosen people, as he imputed their fins to fied., Christ: be barb made bim to be fin for us, who knew no fin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in bim, 2 Cor. 5. 21. But it is impossible to explain, how Christ was made sin for us, unless in that sense, in which our sins are imputed to him, that he might suffer for them: and we are made righteousness in him, in the fame manners that his righteousness is imputed to us, that, on account of it, we may receive the crown. It is evident that, in fcripture, the righteousness of Christ is called our righteousness: for, he is the Lord OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, Jer. 23. 6: be of God is made unto us righteousness i Cor, la 30. Now it is ours either inherently, or by imputation, for there can be no third way: it is not ours inberently; for, in that sense, Paul opposes it to oursy. Phil

. 3. 9, nor does the nature of the thing admit, that acts, performed by Christ, can inherently be ours, It therefore remains, that it is ours by imputation; God imputing to man righteousness without works, , Rom. 4.

6.

XXXVIII. Arminius, by his subtlety, frames vain Which empty quibbles, when he contends, that the right- Arminius eousness of Christ cannot be imputed to us for right- i denies eousness, because it is his very righteousness; laying can be this down as a foundation, that what is imputed to imputed us for righteousness, is not properly our righteousness

, to us. Which none will admit, who has considered, that every judgment of God is according to truth:

whence

ours can

whence it follows, that nothing can be imputed to
any one for righteousness, which is not really
righteousness. But it is imputed to us, that is, fuit
to our account, as if it was ours: for, tho’ it was not

performed by us, yet it was performed by Christ for
1941. us, and in our room. Nor in doing this, does

God judge otherwile than as the thing is; for, he
judges not, that we, in our own person, have fulfilled
that righteoulnels, which is not true; but thac
Christ has so fulfilled it for us, as that, by the
meric thereof, we may juftly be rewarded. This
is so true, that it is the sum of the whole Gol-

pel.
And since XXXIX. And whereas that righteousness of
it is per- Christ is in every respect compleat, and God has
work of knowledged, that full satisfaction was made to his law

to the very utmost, when he raised Christ from the be joined. dead, and called him his righteous servant ; it is not ne

ceffary that any thing, to come from us should acquire
either freedom from punishment, or a right to life,
I add, that it could not in justice be demanded of

For as the least farthing cannot be demanded
by the principal creditor after the surety has paid
him in full for the debtor. It therefore appears,
that they do injury, both to the fatisfaction of
Christ, and to the justice of God, who contend, that
any thing is to be done by men, that is to be added
to the merits of Christ, as the matter of our justifi-
cation. For if, by the satisfaction of Christ, the
demand of the law, which prescribes the condition of
life, is perfectly fulfilled, nothing can, or ought,
to be joined thereto; that the glory may remain pure
and entire to Christ alone. If there was but the
least thing wanting in Christ's satisfaction, which

the law required for righteousness, it would not y deserve even the name of satisfaction; nor would Christ have merited any thing, either for himself, or For, nothing is admitted in this judg

mens,

us.

for us.

and our

ment, but what anfwers all the demands of the law.

XL. The scripture confirms this truth, when it The grace sets the grace of Christ in diametrical opposition to

of Christ our works, maintaining that there can be no works dimixture of the one with the other. If righieousness ametricalcomes by the law, faith the Apostle, that is, if, byly oppoour works, we can acquire a right to life eternal, lite. then Cbrift is dead in vain, Gal. 2. 21.

And more clearly Rom. 11, 6, and if by grace, then it is no more of works; otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace; otherwise work is no more work. In order clearly to difcern the force of the Apostle's inference, it is to be obferved, that there are but two ways, by which we can come to the possession of falvation, according to the two covenants entered into between God and man. For, either one has a right to life, because he has fully satisfied the deinand of the law, according to the covenant of works; and to him that thus worketb, is the reward reckoned of debt, Rom. 4.4. Or he hathi a right to life, because the. surety of a better teftament has made fatisfaction for him, which, of pure grace and most unmerited favour is imputed to him, who worketh not, in order to acquire thar right, V. 15, according to the covenant of grace. these covenants do, in the whole 'essence of them differ, and, in this respect, are contradistinguished from, and set in opposition to, each other, it is evident, they conjoin inconsistencies, who would join together our works with the grace of God, our righteoufne s' with the righteousnets of Christ, in the matter of justification.

XLI. And indeed, the Apostle expressly declares, Aupièr that there is nothing in us, that can here come into what it the account, Rom. 3. 24, justified FRPELY by bis signifies. graće... In respect of God it is of pure grace, which, as we just said, admits of no partnership with our works. In respect of us, it is freely, without any

grace. As