frequent testimony to this interpretation. Upon Psalm cxlviii., For we, by believing, have found that which they (the Jews) lost by not believing. For Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness.' Therefore his opinion clearly is, that it was Abraham's faith or believing, properly taken, that was imputed unto him for righteousness, and not the righteousness of Christ. For that faith of his, which was so imputed, he opposeth to the unbelief of the Jews, whereby they lost the grace and favour of God. Now the righteousness of Christ is not opposed to unbelief, but faith properly taken. Again, writing upon Psalm lxx., For I believe in him that justifieth the ungodly, that my faith may be imputed unto me for righteousness.' The same father yet again, in his tract of Nature and Grace: But if Christ died not in vain, the ungodly is justified in him alone: to whom, believing in him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness.'

"Primasius, about the year 500, writes upon Rom. iv. verse 3, Abraham's faith by the gift of God was so great, that both his former sins were forgiven him, and this faith of his alone preferred in acceptation before all righteousness.'

"Bede, who lived somewhat before the year 700, upon Rom. iv. verse 5, observes, What faith, but that which the apostle in another place fully defineth? neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth any thing, but faith which worketh by love; not any faith, but that faith which worketh by love.' Certainly that faith, which Paul defineth to be a faith working by love, cannot be conceived to be the righteousness of Christ; and yet this faith it was, in the judgment of this author, that was imputed unto Abraham for righteousness. "Haymo, about the year 840, on Rom. iv. 3, writes, 'Because he believed God, it was imputed unto him for righteousness, that is, unto remission of sins, because by that faith, wherewith he believed, he was made righteous.'

Abraham that should be imputed unto him for righteousness, but only this, that he believed God? Again, 'But when he firmly believed God promising, that very faith was imputed to him, in the place of righteousness, that is, he was of God reputed righteous for that faith, and absolved from all his sins.'

"Bullinger gives the same interpretation, upon Romans iv., Abraham committed himself unto God by believing, and this very thing was imputed unto him for righteousness.' And so, upon Gal. iii. 6, 'It was imputed unto him for righteousness, that is, that very faith of Abraham was imputed to him for righteousness, while he was yet uncircumcised.'

"Gaulter comes behind none of the former, in avouching the grammatical against the rhetorical interpretation, upon Rom. iv. 3, Abraham believed God, and he, viz. God, imputed unto him this faith for righteousness.'

Illyricus forsakes not his fellow-interpreters in this point, upon Rom. iv. 3, That same believing was imputed unto him for righteousness.'

"Pellicanus, in like manner, says, upon Gen. xx. 6, Abraham simply believed the word of God, and required not a sign of the Lord, and God imputed that very faith unto Abraham himself for righteousness.' "Hunnius, another divine, sets to his seal, on Romans iv. 3, 'The faith whereby Abraham believed God promising, was imputed unto him for righteousness.' "Beza, upon the same Scripture, says, 'Here the business is, concerning that which was imputed unto him, viz. his faith.'

"Junius and Tremellius are likewise of the same mind, on Gen. xv. 6, 'God esteemed (or accounted) him for righteous, though wanting righteousness, and reckoned this in the place of righteousness, that he embraced the promise with a firm belief." "(9)

Our English divines have generally differed in their interpretations, as they have embraced or opposed the Calvinistic system; but among the more moderate of "Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, about the year that school there have not been wanting many who 1090, upon Rom. iv. 3, That he (meaning Abraham) have bound their system to the express letter and obbelieved so strongly, was by God imputed for righteous-vious meaning of Scripture, on this point; not to menness unto him; that is, &c., by his believing, he was imputed righteous before God."

tion either those who have adopted that middle scheme generally, but not with exactness attributed to Baxter, or the followers of the Remonstrants.

"From all these testimonies it is apparent, that the interpretation of this Scripture which we contend for, When, however, we say, that faith is imputed for anciently obtained in the church of God, and no man righteousness, in order to prevent misapprehension, was found to open his mouth against it, till it had been and fully to answer the objections raised on the other established for above a thousand years. Come we to the side, the meaning of the different terms of this propotimes of reformation; here we shall find it still main-sition ought to be explained. They are, RIGHTEOUStained by men of the greatest authority and learning. "Luther, on Gal. iii. 6, Christian righteousness is an affiance or faith in the Son of God, which affiance is imputed unto righteousness for Christ's sake.' And in | the same place, not long after, God for Christ's sake, in whom I have begun to believe, accounts this (my) imperfect faith, for perfect righteousness.'

NESS, FAITH, and IMPUTATION.

To explain the first, reference has sometimes been made to the three terms used by the apostle Paul, δικαιωμα, δικαίωσις, and δικαιοσύνη; of which, says Baxter, "the first usually signifies the practical or preceptive manner, that is, righteousness; the second, active, efficient justification; the third, the state of the just, qualitative or relative, or ipsam justitiam.” Others have made these distinctions a little different; but not much help is to be derived from them, and it is much more important to observe, that the apostle often uses the term dikatoσvvn, righteousness, in a passive "Peter Martyr declares himself of the same judg-sense for justification itself. So in Gal. ii. 21, “If rightment, upon Rom. iv. 3, To be imputed for righteousness in another sense, that by which we ourselves are reckoned in the number of the righteous. And this Paul attributes to faith only.'

Bucer, upon Rom. iv. 3, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness, that is, he accounted this faith for righteousness unto him. So that by believing he obtained this, that God esteemed him a righteous man.'

vain.

"Calvin has the same interpretation upon Rom. iv. 3, 'Wherefore Abraham, by believing, doth only embrace the grace tendered unto him, that it might not be in If this be imputed unto him for righteousness, it follows, that he is no otherwise righteous, but as trusting or relying upon the goodness of God, he hath boldness to hope for all things from him.' Again, upon verse 5, Faith is imputed for righteousness, not because it carrieth any merit from us, but because it apprehends the goodness of God.' Hence, it appears, that he never thought of a tropical or metonymical sense in the word faith; but that he took it in the plain, ready, and grammatical signification.

"Musculus contends for this imputation, also, in his common place of justification, sect. 5, This faith should be in high esteem with us; not in regard of the proper quality of it, but in regard of the purpose of God, whereby he hath decreed, for Christ's sake, to impute it for righteousness unto those that believe in him.' The same author upon Gal. iii. 6, 'What did

eousness (justification) come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." Gal. iii. 21, "For if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness (justification) should have been by the law." Rom. ix. 30, The Gentiles have attained to righteousness (justification), even the righteousness (justification) which is by faith." And in Rom. x. 4, "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth;" where, also, we must understand righteousness to mean justification. Rom. v. 18, 19, will also show, that with the apostle, "to make righteous," and "to justify," signify the same thing; for "justification of life," in the 18th verse, is called in the 19th, being "made righteous." To be accounted righteous is, then, in the apostle's style, where there has been personal guilt, to be justified; and what is accounted or imputed to us for righteousness, is accounted or imputed to us for our justification.

The second term of the above proposition which it is necessary to explain, is FAITH. The true nature of justifying faith will be explained below; all that is here necessary to remark is, that it is not every act of

(9) Vide GooDWIN on Justification.

faith, or faith in the general truths of revelation, which | is imputed for righteousness, though it supposes them all, and is the completion of them all. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God; but it is not our faith in creation which is imputed to us for righteousness. So in the case of Abraham, he not only had faith in the truths of the religion of which he was the teacher and guardian, but had exercised affiance, also, in some particular promises of God, before he exhibited that great act of faith, which was "counted to him for righteousness," and which made his justification the pattern of the justification of sinful men in all ages. But having received the promise of a son, from whom the Messiah should spring, in whom all nations were to be blessed; and being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, nor yet the deadness of Sarah's womb; he staggered not at the promises of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also to perforin, and therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness." Rom. iv. 19-23. His faith had Messiah for its great and ultimate object, and in its nature it was an entire affiance in the promise and faithfulness of God with reference to the holy seed. So the object of that faith which is imputed to us for righteousness is Christ; Christ as having made atonement for our sins (the remission of our sins, as expressly taught by St. Paul, being obtained by "faith in his blood) ;" and it is in its nature an entire affiance in the promise of God to this effect, made to us through his atonement, and founded upon it. Faith being thus understood, excludes all notion of its meritoriousness. It is not faith, generally considered, which is imputed to us for righteousness; but faith (trust) in an atonement offered by another in our behalf; by which trust in something without us, we acknowledge our own insufficiency, guilt, and unworthiness, and directly ascribe the merit to that in which we trust, and which is not our own, namely, the propitiation of the blood of Christ.

act of free forgiveness, through faith in Christ, in the condition of righteous men, in this respect, that the penalty of the law does not lie against them, and that they are restored to the Divine favour.

From this brief, but, it is hoped, clear explanation of these terms, righteousness, faith, and imputation, it will appear, that it is not quite correct in the advocates of the Scripture doctrine of the imputation of faith for righteousness, to say, that our faith in Christ is accepted in the place of personal obedience to the law; except, indeed, in this loose sense, that our faith in Christ as effectually exempts us from punishment, as if we had been personally obedient. The Scriptural doctrine is rather, that the death of Christ is accepted in the place of our personal punishment, on condition of our faith in him; and that when faith in him is actually exerted, then comes in, on the part of God, the act of imputing or reckoning righteousness to us; or, what is the same thing, accounting faith for righteousness; that is, pardoning our offences through faith, and treating us as the objects of his restored favour.

To this doctrine of the imputation of faith for righteousness, the principal objections which have been made admit of an easy answer.

The first is that of the Papists, who take the term justification to signify the making men morally just or righteous; and they therefore argue, that as faith alone is not righteousness in the moral sense, it would be false, and therefore impossible, to impute it for righteousness. But as we have proved from Scripture that justification simply signifies the pardon of sin, this objection has no foundation.

The third term is IMPUTATION. The original verb is well enough translated to impute, in the sense of to reckon, to account; but, as we have stated above, it is never used to signify imputation in the sense of accounting the actions of one person to have been per-der to our justification, it is in this view the performformed by another.

A second objection is, that if faith, that is, believing, is imputed for righteousness, then justification is by works, or by somewhat in ourselves. In this objection the term works is equivoca!. If it mean works of obedience to the moral law, the objection is unfounded, for faith is not a work of this kind: and if it mean the merit of works of any kind, it is equally without foundation; for no merit is allowed to faith, and faith, in the sense of exclusive affiance, or trusting in the merits of another, shuts out, by its very nature, all assumption of merit to ourselves, or there would be no need of resorting to another's merit: but if it mean that faith or believing is the doing of something in orance of a condition, a sine qua non, which is not only A man's sin or righteousness is imputed to him, not forbidden by Scripture, but required of us," This when he is considered as actually the doer of sinful or is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he of righteous acts, in which sense the word repute is hath sent;" "He that believeth shall be saved, and he in more general use; and he is, in consequence, re- that believeth not shall be damned." And so far is this puted a vicious or a holy man. A man's sin or right-considered by the apostle Paul as prejudicing the free eousness is imputed to him in its legal consequence, grace of God in our justification, that he makes our under a government by rewards and punishments; and justification by faith the proof of its gratuitous nature, then to impute sin or righteousness, signifies, in a legal "for by grace are ye saved, through faith." "Theresense, to reckon and to account it, to acquit or con- fore it is by faith, that it might be through grace." demn, and forthwith to punish, or to exempt from pu- A third objection is, that the imputation of faith for nishment. Thus Shimei entreats David, that he would righteousness gives occasion to boasting, which is con"not impute folly to him," that is, that he would not demned by the Gospel. The answer to this is, 1. That punish his folly. In this sense, too, David speaks of the objection lies with equal strength against the thethe blessedness of the man to whom the Lord "im-ory of the imputation of the righteousness of Christ, puteth not sin," that is, whom he forgives, so that the since faith is required in order to that imputation. 2. legal consequence of his sin shall not fall upon him. Boasting of our faith is cut off by the consideration that This non-imputation of sin to a sinner is expressly this faith itself is the gift of God. 3. If it were not, called the "imputation of righteousness without yet the blessings which follow upon our faith are not works;" the imputation of righteousness is, then, the given with reference to any worth or merit which there non-punishment or pardon of sin; and if this passage may be in our believing, but are given with respect to be read in its connexion, it will also be seen, that by the death of Christ, from the bounty and grace of God. "imputing" faith for righteousness, the apostle means 4. St. Paul was clearly of the contrary opinion, who precisely the same thing. "But to him that worketh tells us that "boasting is excluded by the law of faith ;” not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, the reason of which has been already stated, that trust his faith is counted for righteousness; even as Da-in another for salvation does, ipso facto, attribute the vid, also, describeth the man to whom God imputeth power, and consequently the honour, of saving to an righteousness without works, saying, blessed is the other, and denies both to ourselves. man whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins Since, then, we are "justified by faith," our next in are covered, blessed is the man to whom the Lord quiry must be somewhat more particularly into the "imputeth not sin." This quotation from David specific quality of that faith, which thus, by the apwould have been nothing to the apostle's purpose, un-pointment of God, leads to this important change in less he had understood the forgiveness of sins, and the imputation of righteousness, and the non-imputation of sin, to signify the same thing as "counting faith for righteousness," with only this difference, that the introduction of the term "faith" marks the manner in which the forgiveness of sin is obtained. To impute faith for righteousness, is nothing more than to be justified by faith, which is also called by St. Paul, being made righteous," that is, being placed by an

U

our relations to the Being whom we have offended, so that our offences are freely forgiven, and we are restored to his favour.

On the subject of justifying faith, so many distinctions have been set up, so many logical terms and definitions are found in the writings of systematic divines, and often, as Baxter has it, "such quibbling and jingling of a mere sound of words," that the simple Christian, to whom this subject ought always to be

1. That in Scripture, faith is presented to us under two leading views. The first is that of assent or persuasion; the second, that of confidence or reliance. That the former may be separated from the latter is also plain, though the latter cannot exist without the former. Faith, in the sense of intellectual assent to truth, is allowed to be possessed by devils. A dead, inoperative faith, is also supposed or declared to be possessed by wicked men professing Christianity; for our Lord represents persons coming to him at the last day, saying, "Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name," &c.; to whom he will say, "Depart from me, I never knew you;" and yet the charge, in this case, does not lie against the sincerity of their belief, but against their conduct as "workers of iniquity." As this distinction is taught in Scripture, so it is also observed in experience, that assent to the truths of revealed religion may result from examination and conviction, while yet the spirit and conduct may be unre-bited as the object of their trust, with the promise of newed and wholly worldly.

puted to him for righteousness,' the very moment that he believeth. Not that God (as was observed before) thinketh him to be what he is not. But as he made Christ to be a sin-offering for us,' that is, treated him as a sinner, punished him for our sins; so he counteth us righteous, from the time we believe in him; that is, he doth not punish us for our sins, yea, treats us as though we were guiltless and righteous.

trine of the Scriptures; and it was this great doctrinegative righteousness, or innocence. But faith is imbrought forth again from the Scriptures into public view, and maintained by their authority, which constituted one of the main pillars of the reformation from Popery; and on which no compromise could be allowed with that corrupt church, which had substituted for it the merit of works. Melancthon, in his Apology for the Augsburg Confession, thus speaks: "To represent justification by faith only has been considered objectionable, though Paul concludes that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law;' 'that we are justified freely by his grace,' and 'that it is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.' If the use of the exclusive term only is deemed inadmis-one is justified; the only thing that is immediately, insible, let them expunge from the writings of the apostles the exclusive phrases, by grace, not of works,' the gift of God,' and others of similar import." "We are accounted righteous before God," says the 11th article of the Church of England, "only for the merit of eur Lord Jesus Christ, by faith, not for our works and deservings;" and again, in the Homily on Salvation, St. Paul declares nothing upon the behalf of man concerning his justification, but only a true and lively faith, which, nevertheless, is the gift of God, and not man's only work without God. And yet that faith doth not shut out repentance, hope, love, dread, and the fear of God, to be joined with faith in every man that is justified; but only shutteth them out from the office of justifying. So that, although they be all present together in him that is justified, yet they justify not altogether."

'Surely the difficulty of assenting to the proposition, that faith is the only condition of justification, must arise from not understanding it. We mean thereby this much, that it is the only thing without which no dispensably, absolutely requisite in order to pardon. As, on the one hand, though a man should have every thing else, without faith, yet he cannot be justified: so on the other, though he be supposed to want every thing else, yet if he hath faith he cannot but be justified. For suppose a sinner of any kind or degree, in a full sense of his total ungodliness, of his utter inability to think, speak, or do good, and his absolute meetness for hell fire: suppose, I say, this sinner, helpless and hopeless, casts himself wholly on the mercy of God in Christ (which indeed he cannot do but by the grace of God), who can doubt, but he is forgiven in that moment? Who will affirm that any more is indispensably required, before that sinner can be justified?"(3)

To the view of justifying faith we have attempted to establish, namely, the entire trust and reliance of an awakened and penitent sinner, in the atonement of Christ alone, as the meritorious ground of his pardon, some objections have been made, and some contrary hypotheses opposed, which it will be necessary to bring to the test of the Word of God.

It is an error, therefore, to suppose, as many have done, that the doctrine of justification by faith alone, is peculiarly a Calvinistic one. It has, in consequence, often been attacked under this mistake, and confounded with the peculiarities of that system, by writers of limited reading, or perverting ingenuity. It is the doc- The general objection is, that it is a doctrine unfatrine, as we have seen, not of the Calvinistic confes-vourable to morality. This was the objection in St. sions only, but of the Lutheran church, and of the Paul's day, and it has been urged through all ages ever Church of England. It was the doctrine of the Dutch since. It proceeds, however, upon a great misapprehenRemonstrants, at least of the early divines of that sion of the doctrine; and has sometimes been suggested party; and though, among many divines of the Church by that real abuse of it, to which all truth is liable by of England, the errors of Popery on the subject of justi- men of perverted minds and corrupted hearts. Some of fication have had their influence, and some, who have these have pretended, or deceived themselves into the contended for justification by faith alone, have lowered conclusion, that if the atonement made for sin by the the scriptural standard of believing, the doctrine itself death of Christ only be relied upon, however presumphas often been very ably maintained by its later non- tuously, the sins which they commit will be forgiven; Calvinistic divines. Thus justification by faith alone; and that there is no motive, at least from fear of consefaith which excludes all works, both of the ceremonial quences, to avoid sin. Others observing this abuse, or and moral law; all works performed by Gentiles misled, probably, by incautious statements of sincere under the law of nature; all works of evangelical obe-persons on this point, have concluded this to be the lodience, though they spring from faith; has been de- gical consequence of the doctrine, however innocently fended by Whitby, in the preface to his notes on the it may sometimes be held. Attempts have, therefore, Epistle to the Galatians, though he was a decided anti- been made to guard the doctrine, and from these, on the Calvinist. The same may be said of many others; and other hand, errors have arisen. The Romish church we may, finally, refer to Mr. Wesley, who revived, by contends for justification by inherent righteousness, his preaching and writings, an evangelical Arminian- and makes faith a part of that righteousness. Others ism in this country; and who has most clearly and contend, that faith signifies obedience; others place ably established this truth in connexion with the doc-justification in faith and good works united; others trine of general redemption, and God's universal love

to man.

"By affirming that faith is the term or condition of justification, I mean, first, that there is no justification without it. He that believeth not is condemned already,' and so long as he believeth not, that condemnation cannot be removed, but the wrath of God abideth on him.' As there is no other name given under heaven, than that of Jesus of Nazareth,' no other merit whereby a condemned sinner can ever be saved from the guilt of sin; so there is no other way of obtaining a share in his merit, than by faith in his name. So that, as long as we are without this faith, we are 'strangers to the covenant of promise, we are aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and without God in the world.' Whatsoever virtues (so called) a man may have, I speak of those unto whom the Gospel is preached; for what have I to do to judge them that are without? Whatsoever good works (so accounted) he may do, it profiteth not; he is still a child of wrath, still under the curse till he believe in Jesus.

"Faith, therefore, is the necessary condition of justification. Yea, and the only necessary condition thereof. This is the second point carefully to be observed; that the very moment God giveth faith (for it is the gift of God) to the ungodly, that worketh not,' that faith is counted to him for righteousness.' He hath no righteousness at all antecedent to this, not so much as neU2

hold that faith gives us an interest in the merit of Christ, to make up the deficiency of a sincere but imperfect obedience; others think that true faith is in itself essentially, and, per se, the necessary root of obedience.

The proper answer to the objection, that justification by faith alone leads to licentiousness, is, that "though we are justified by faith alone," the faith by which we are justified is not alone in the heart which exercises it. In receiving Christ, as the writers of the Reforma→ tion often say, "faith is soia, yet not solitaria." It is not the trust of a man asleep and secure, but the trust of one awakened and aware of the peril of eternal death, as the wages of sin; it is not the trust of a man, ignorant of the spiritual meaning of God's holy law; but of one who is convinced and "slain" by it; not the trust of an impenitent, but of a penitent man; the trust of one, in a word, who feels, through the convincing power of the word and spirit of God, that he is justly exposed to wrath, and in whom this conviction produces a genuine sorrow for sin, and an intense and supreme desire to be delivered from its penalty and do. minion. Now, that all this is substantially, or more particularly, in the experience of all who pass into this state of justification through faith, is manifest from the 7th and 8th chapters of the Epistle to the Romans, in which the moral state of man is traced in the experi

(3) WESLEY'S Sermons.