…1. As to doctrinal legalists, we might bewail and refute the legal schemes that take place in the world. I name these two: 1. The Popish Scheme, denying the imputation of Christ’s righteousness. The imputed righteousness of Christ is blasphemed by the church of Rome.  They call it an affectitious, imaginary air, a putative righteousness contrary to the very strain of our Apostle in his epistles. They talk of a twofold justification: Their first justification is that whereby an unjustified man becomes justified, or a wicked man becomes godly; where they confound justification and sanctification. The second is that, whereby a man already righteous, becomes more and more righteous, more and more holy. We know no justification, but one justification by faith, in the day of closing with Christ, laying hold upon the blood of Christ whom God has set forth to be the propitiation, etc. It is a complete righteousness, we have it all at once; and it is not within us, but without us: it is in Christ inherently and in us imputatively. They tell us, that we are not justified by the works of the ceremonial law, but by the works of the moral law. They tell us that we are not justified by perfect obedience, but by imperfect; and by an acceptation. It is looked on by God as perfect and in a word, they tell us that we are justified not meritoriously and simply, by works done in our own strength, but by works acted and done by the strength and assistance of the Spirit of God. There is the Popish Scheme.

2. The Baxterian Scheme is also opposite to this gospel doctrine. They tell us that God has made a new law with mankind and obedience to that new law and to its commands is our righteousness. And this obedience gives us title to heaven and gives us a title to Christ’s blood, and to pardon and the act of faith is our righteousness, not as it accepts of Christ righteousness, but as it is an obedience to that new Law. The very act and work of faith is, according to them, the righteousness itself. And this faith takes in all kinds of works, namely repentance, love, obedience, and ten or twelve duties of that sort. And all these together are our righteousness for justification. Really (as one lays upon this very head) if the apostle Paul were alive, he would excommunicate such ministers.

Ralph Erskine, Law-Death, Gospel-Life: or The Death of Legal Righteousness, The Life of Gospel Holiness Being the Substance of Several Sermons Upon Galatians 2:19 (Ediburgh, 1724), 98–100.

(HT: Brian Onstead)

NOTE

The spelling and punctuation of this text has been modernized.

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