The Works of John Owen

Nature of the obedience or Tighteousness required unto justification. Original
and causes of the law of creation. The substance and end of that law. The
immutability or unchangeableness of i considered absolutely; and as it was
the instrument of the covenant between God and man. Arguments to prove
it unchangeable and obligation unto the righteousness first required, per-
petuallif. Therefore not abrogated, not dispensed withal, not dero-
ul, but accomplished. This alone by Christ, and the imputation of

s righteousness unto us .....
... 297

CHAP. XII.

Imputation of the obedience of Christ, no less necessary than that of his suffer-
ing on the same ground. Objections against it. 1. That it is impossible.
Management hereof by Socinus. Ground of this objection, that the Lord
Christ was for himself obliged unto all the obedience he yielded unto God,
and performed it for himself, answered. The obedience inquired after, the
obedience of the person of Christ the Son of God. In his whole person, Christ
was not under the law. He designed the obedience he performed, for us not

for himself. This actual obedience not necessary as a qualification of his per-

son, unto the discharge of his office. The foundation of this obedience in his

being made man, and of the posterity of Abraham, not for himself, but for

us. Right of the human nature unto glory, by virtue of union. Obedience

necessary unto the human nature, as Christ in it was made under the law.

This obedience properly for us. Instances of that nature among men. Christ

obeyed as a public person; and so not for himself. Human nature of Christ

subject unto the law, as an eternal rule of dependance on God, and subjec-

tion to him; not as prescribed unto us whilst we are in this world, in order

unto our future blessedness, or reward. Second objection, that it is useless,

answered. He that is pardoned all his sins, is not thereon esteemed to have

done all that is required of him. Not to be unrighteous, negatively; not the

same with being righteous, positively. The law obligeth both unto punish-

ment and obedience; how, and in what sense. Pardon of sin gives no title

to eternal life. The righteousness of Christ who is one, imputed unto many.

Arguments proving the imputation of the obedience of Christ, unto the justi-

fication of life ..

CHAP. XIII.

The difference between the two covenants, stated. Arguments from thence

All works whatever expressly excluded from any interest in our justification be-

fore God. What intended by the works of the law. Not those of the cere-

monial law only. Not perfect works only, as required by the law of our crea-

tion. Not the outward works of the law performed without a principle of

faith. Not works of the Jewish law. Not works with a conceit of merit.

Not works only wrought before believing in the strength of our own wills.

Works excluded absolutely from our justification without respect unto a dis-

tinction of a first and second justification. The true sense of the law in the

apostolical assertion, that none are justified by the works thereof. What the

Jews understood by the law. Distribution of the law under the Old Testa-

ment. The whole law a perfect rule of all inherent moral or spiritual obe-

dience. What are the works of the law, declared from the Scripture, and

the argument thereby confirmed. The nature of justifying faith farther de-

Testimonies of Scripture confirming the doctrine of justification by the imputa-

tion of the righteousness of Christ. Jer. xxiii. 6. explained and vindicated. 364

CHAP. XVII.

Testimonies out of the evangelists, considered. Design of our Saviour's ser-

mon on the mount. The purity and penalty of the law, vindicated by him.

Arguments from thence, Luke xviii. 9—13. The parable of the Pharisee

and publican explained and applied to the present argument. Testimonies

out of the gospel by John, chap. iii. 14-18, &c.

CHAP. XVIII.

...

.... 369

Testimonies out of the Epistles of Paul, the apostle. His design in the fifth
chapter to the Romans. That design explained at large and applied to the
present argument. Chap. iii. 24-26. explained, and the true sense of the

Page

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words vindicated. The causes of justification enumerated. Apostolical in-
ferences from the consideration of them. Chap. iv. Design of the disputa-
tion of the apostle therein. Analysis of his discourse. Ver. 4, 5. particularly
insisted on, their true sense vindicated. What works excluded from the jus-
tification of Abraham. Who it is, that worketh not. In what sense the un-
godly are justified. All men ungodly antecedently unto their justification.
Faith alone the means of justification on our part. Faith itself absolutely
considered, not the righteousness that is imputed unto us. Proved by sun-
dry arguments
Chap. v. 12-18. Boasting excluded in ourselves, asserted in God. The desigu
and sum of the apostle's argument. Objection of Socinus removed. Com-
parison between the two Adams, and those that derive from them. Sin en-
tered into the world. What sin intended. Death, what it compriseth.
What intended by it. The sense of those words inasmuch, or, in whom all
have sinned, cleared and vindicated. The various oppositions used by the
apostle in this discourse. Principally between sin or the fall, and the free
gift. Between the disobedience of the one, and the obedience of another.
Judgment on the one hand, and justification unto life on the other. The
whole context at large, explained, and the argument for justification by the
imputation of the righteousness of Christ, fully confirmed

Chap. x. 3, 4. explained and insisted on to the same purpose

....

378

396

.... 417

1 Cor. i. 30. Christ, how of God made righteousness unto us. Answer of Bel-

larmine unto this testimony, removed. That of Socinus, disproved. True

sense of the words evinced

2 Cor. v. 21. In what sense Christ knew no sin. Emphasis in that expression.

How he was made sin for us. By the imputation of sin unto him. Mis-

takes of some about this expression. Sense of the ancients. Exception of

Bellarmine unto this testimony, answered; with other reasonings of his to the

same purpose,

...

The exceptions of others also removed. Gal. ii. 16.

Eph. ii. 8-10. Evidence of this testimony. Design of the apostle from the be-
ginning of the chapter. Method of the apostle in the declaration of the
grace of God. Grace alone the cause of deliverance from a state of sin.
Things to be observed in the assignation of the causes of spiritual deliverance.
Grace, how magnified by him. Force of the argument, and evidence from
thence. State of the case here proposed by the apostle. General determi-
nation of it. By grace ye are saved. What it is to be saved, inquired into.
The same as to be justified, but not exclusively. The causes of our justifica-
tion, declared positively and negatively. The whole secured unto the grace
of God by Christ, and our interest therein through faith alone. Works ex-

Icluded. What works? Not works of the law of Moses. Not works ante-

cedent unto believing. Works of true believers. Not only in opposition to

the grace of God, but to faith in us. Argument from those words. Reason

whereon this exclusion of works is founded. To exclude boasting on our

part. Boasting, wherein it consists. Inseparable from the interest of works

in justification. Danger of it. Confirmation of this reason obviating an ob-

jection. The objection stated. If we be not justified by works, of what use

are they, answered

.......

Phil. iii. 8, 9. Heads of argument from this testimony. Design of the context.

440

Page

Righteousness the foundation of acceptance with God. A twofold righteous-

ness considered by the apostle. Opposite unto one another, as unto the es-

pecial end inquired after. Which of these he adhered unto, his own righte

ousness or the righteousness of God; declared by the apostle with vehemency

of speech. Reasons of his earnestness herein. The turning point whereon

he left Judaism. The opposition made unto this doctrine by the Jews. The

weight of the doctrine and unwillingness of men to receive it. His own sense

of sin and grace. Peculiar expressions used in this place, for the reasons

mentioned, concerning Christ. Concerning all things that are our own. The

choice to be made on the case stated, whether we will adhere unto our own

righteousness, or that of Christ's, which are inconsistent as to the end of jus-

tification. Argument from this place. Exceptions unto this testimony, and

argument from thence, removed. Our personal righteousness inherent, the

same with respect unto the law and gospel. External righteousness only re-

quired by the law, an impious imagination. Works wrought before faith only

rejected. The exception removed. Righteousness before conversion, not

intended by the apostle
448

CHAP. XIX.

Objections against the doctrine of justification by the imputation of the righte-

ousness of Christ. Nature of these objections. Difficulty in discerning

aright the sense of some men in this argument. Justification by works, the

end of all declension from the righteousness of Christ. Objections against

this doctrine derived from a supposition thereof alone. First principal objec-

tion; imputed righteousness overthrows the necessity of a holy life. This

objection as managed by them of the church of Rome, an open calumny.

How insisted on by some among ourselves. Socinus's fierceness in this charge.

His foul dishonesty therein. False charges on men's opinions, making way

for the rash condemnation of their persons. Iniquity of such censures. The

objection rightly stated. Sufficiently answered in the previous discourses

about the nature of faith, and force of the moral law. The nature and neces-

sity of evangelical holiness elsewhere pleaded. Particular answers unto this

objection. All who profess this doctrine do not exemplify it in their lives.

The most holy truths have been abused. None by whom this doctrine is now

denied, exceed them in holiness, by whom it was formerly professed, and the

power of it attested. The contrary doctrine not successful in the reformation

of the lives of men. The best way to determine this difference. The same

objection managed against the doctrine of the apostle in his own days. Effi-

cacious prejudices against this doctrine in the minds of men. The whole

doctrine of the apostle liable to be abused. Answers of the apostle unto this

objection. He never once attempts to answer it, by declaring the necessity

of personal righteousness, or good works unto justification before God. He

confines the cogency of evangelical motives unto obedience only unto be-

lievers. Grounds of evangelical holiness asserted by him in compliance with

his doctrine of justification. 1. Divine ordination. Exceptions unto this

ground, removed. 2. Answer of the apostle vindicated. The obligation of

the law unto obedience. Nature of it, and consistency with grace. This an-

swer of the apostle vindicated. Heads of other principles that might be

pleaded to the same purpose

......

CHAP. XX.

Seeming difference, no real contradiction between the apostles Paul and James,
concerning justification. This granted by all. Reasons of the seeming dif-
ference. The best rule of the interpretation of places of Scripture, wherein

458

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