Imputation of the obedience of Christ no less necessary than that of his suffering, on the same ground — Objections against it:— First, 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 person 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, so an eternal rule of dependence on God, and subjection 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 obliges both unto punishment 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 justification of life
From the foregoing general argument another does issue in particular, with respect unto the imputation of the active obedience or righteousness of Christ unto us, as an essential part of that righteousness whereon we are justified before God. And it is as follows:— “If it were necessary that the Lord Christ, as our surety, should undergo the penalty of the law for us, or in our stead, because we have all sinned, then it was necessary also that, as our surety, he should yield obedience unto the preceptive part of the law for us also; and if the imputation of the former be needful for us unto our justification before God, then is the imputation of the latter also necessary unto the same end and purpose.” For why was it necessary, or why would God have it so, that the Lord Christ, as the surety of the covenant, should undergo the curse and penalty of the law, which we had incurred the guilt of by sin, that we may be justified in his sight? Was it not that the glory and honour of his righteousness, as the author of the law, and the supreme governor of all mankind thereby, might not be violated in the absolute impunity of the infringers of it? And if it were requisite unto the glory of God that the penalty of the law should be undergone for us, or suffered by our surety in our stead, because we had sinned, wherefore is it not as requisite unto the glory of God that the preceptive part of the law be complied withal for us, inasmuch as obedience thereunto is required of us? And as we are no more able of ourselves to full the law in a way of obedience than to undergo the penalty of it, so as that we may be justified thereby; so no reason can be given why God is not as much concerned, in honour and glory, that the preceptive power and part of the law be complied withal by perfect obedience, as that the sanction of it be established by undergoing the penalty of it. Upon the same grounds, therefore, that the Lord Christ’s suffering the penalty of the law for us was necessary that we might be justified in the sight of God, and that the satisfaction he made [might] thereby be imputed unto us, as if we ourselves had made satisfaction unto God, as Bellarmine speaks and grants; on the same it was equally necessary, — that is, as unto the glory and honour of the Legislator and supreme Governor of all by the law, — that he should fulfil the preceptive part of it, in his perfect obedience thereunto; which also is to be imputed unto us for our justification.
Concerning the first of these, — namely, the satisfaction of Christ, and the imputation of it unto us, — our principal difference is with the Socinians. And I have elsewhere written so much in the vindication of the truth therein, that I shall not here again re-assume the same argument; it is here, therefore, taken for granted, although I know that there are some different apprehensions about the notion of Christ’s suffering in our stead, and of the imputation of those sufferings unto us. But I shall here take no notice of them, seeing I press this argument no farther, but only so far forth that the obedience of Christ unto the law, and the imputation thereof unto us, are no less necessary unto our justification before God, than his suffering of the penalty of the law, and the imputation thereof unto us, unto the same end. The nature of this imputation, and what it is formally that is imputed, we have considered elsewhere.