Wesley Corpus

3. Does it not imply thus much “Christ is the end of the law”--not only of the Mosaic dispensation, but of the law of works, which was given to Adam in his original per fection--“for righteousness to every one that believeth;” to the end that “every one who believeth” in him, though he have not kept, and cannot keep, that law, may be both accounted and made righteous. 9. Accordingly, frequent mention is made, in Scripture, of “faith counted for righteousness.” So Genesis xv. 6: “He” (Abraham) “believed in the Lord, and he counted it to him for righteousness:” A text repeated, with but little variation, over and over in the New Testament: “To him that worketh not, but believeth on him who justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” (Rom. iv. 5.) Thus it was that “Noah became heir of the righteousness,” the justification, “which is by faith.” (Heb. xi. 7.) Thus also “the Gentiles,” when the Jews fell short, “attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith.” (Rom. ix. 30.) But that expression, “the righteousness of Christ,” does not occur in any of these texts. 10. It seems, righteousness in the following texts means neither more nor less than justification: “If righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.” (Gal. ii. 21.) “If there had been a law which could have given life,” spiritual life, or a title to life eternal, “then righteousness should have been by the law;” (iii. 21;) though some may think it here includes sanctification also; which it appears to do, Rev. xix. 8: “The fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.” 11. “But when St. Paul says, (Rom. v. 18) ‘By the righte ousness of one,’ (called in the following verse, ‘the obedience of one, even his “obedience unto death, his dying for us,) ‘the free gift came, does he not mean the righteousness of Christ?” Undoubtedly he does. But this is not the question. We are not inquiring what he means, but what he says. We are all agreed as to the meaning, but not as to the expression, “the imputing the righteousness of Christ,” which I still say, I dare not insist upon, neither require any one to use, because I cannot find it in the Bible.