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A Review of the Doctrine of Imputation from a Primary Source Document:
THE SECOND LONDON CONFESSION OF FAITH (1689)
CHAP.
III, Of God's Decree
1. GOD has Decreed in himself from all Eternity, by the most wise and holy Counsel of his own
will, freely and unchangeably, all things whatsoever comes to passe; yet so as thereby is God neither the author of sin, nor
has fellowship with any therein, nor is violence offered to the will of the Creature, nor yet is the liberty, or contingency
of second causes taken away, but rather established, in which appears his wisdom in disposing all things, and power, and faithfulness
in accomplishing his Decree.
2. Although God knows whatsoever may, or can come to passe upon all supposed conditions;
yet has he not Decreed anything, because he foresaw it as future, or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions.
3. By the decree of God, for the manifestation of his glory some men and Angels are predestinated, or fore-ordained
to Eternal Life, through Jesus Christ, to the praise of his glorious grace; others being left to act in their sin to their
just condemnation, to the praise of his glorious justice
4. These Angels and Men thus predestinated, and fore-ordained,
are particularly, and unchangeably designed, and their number so certain, and definite, that it cannot be either increased,
or diminished.
5. Those of mankind that are predestinated to life, God, before the foundation of the world was laid,
according to his eternal and immutable purpose, and the secret Counsel and good pleasure of his will, has chosen in Christ
unto everlasting glory, out of his mere free grace and love; without any other thing in the creature as a condition or cause
moving him hereunto.
6. As God has appointed the Elect unto glory, so he has by the eternal and most free purpose
of his will, fore-ordained all the means hereunto, wherefore they who are elected, being fain in Adam, are redeemed by Christ,
are effectually called unto faith in Christ, by his spirit working in due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and
kept by his power through faiths unto salvation; neither are any other redeemed by Christ, or effectually called, justified,
adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the Elect only.
7. The Doctrine of this high mystery of predestination, is to
be handled with special prudence, and care; that men attending the will of God revealed in his word, and yielding obedience
thereunto, may from the certainty of their effectual vocation, be assured of theirs eternal election, so shall this doctrine
afford matters of praise, reverence, and admiration of God, and of humility, diligence, and abundantly consolation, to all
that sincerely obey the Gospel.
CHAP. VI, Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment Thereof
1.
Although God created Man upright, and perfect, and gave him a righteous law, which had been unto life had he kept it, and
threatened death upon the breach thereof; yet he did not long abide in this honor; Satan using the subtilty of the serpent
to seduce Eve, then by her seducing Adam, who without any compulsion, did wilfully transgress the Law of their Creation, and
the command given unto them in eating the forbidden fruit; which God was pleased according to his wise and holy Counsel to
permit, having purposed to order it, to his own glory.
2. Our first Parents by this Sin, fell from theirs original
righteousness and communion with God, and we in them, whereby death came upon all; all becoming dead in Sin, and wholly defiled,
in all the faculties, and parts, of soul, and body.
3. They being the root, and by Gods appointment, standing in the
room, and stead of all mankind; the guilt of the Sin was IMPUTED, and corrupted nature conveyed, to all their posterity descending
from them by ordinary generation, being now conceived in Sin, and by nature children of wrath, the servants of Sin, the subjects
of death and all other miseries, spiritual, temporal and eternal, unless the Lord Jesus set them free.
4. From this
original corruption whereby we are utterly indisposed, disabled, and made opposite to all good, and wholly Inclined to all
evil, dole proceed all actual transgressions.
5. This Corruption of nature, during this life, doth remain in those
that are regenerated: and although it be through Christ pardoned, and mortified, yet both itself, and the first motions thereof,
are truly and properly Sin.
CHAP. VII, Of Gods Covenant
1. The distance between God and the Creature is so
great, that although reasonable Creatures do owe obedience unto him as their Creator yet they could never have attained the
reward of Life, but by some voluntary condescension on Gods part, which he has been pleased to express, by way of Covenant.
2. Moreover Man having brought himself under the curse of the Law by his fall, it pleased the Lord to make a Covenant
of Grace wherein he freed offers unto Sinners, Life and Salvation by Jesus Christ, requiring of them Faith in him, that they
may be saved; and promising to give unto all those that are ordained unto eternal Life, his Holy Spirit, to make them willing,
and able to believe.
3. This Covenant is revealed in the Gospel; first of all to Adam in the promise of Salvation
by the seed of the woman, and afterwards by farther steps, until the full discovery thereof was completed in the new Testament;
and it is founded in that Eternal Covenant transaction, that was between the Father and the Son, about the Redemption of the
Elect; and it is alone by the Grace of this Covenant, that all of the posterity of fallen Adam, that ever were saved, did
orb fain life and a blessed immortality; Man being now utterly incapable of acceptance with God upon those terms, on which
Adam stood in his state of innocency.
CHAP. VIII, Of Christ the Mediator
1. It pleased God in his eternal
purpose, to choose and ordain the Lord Jesus his only begotten Son, according to the Covenant made between them both, to be
the Mediator between God and Man; the Prophet, Priest and King; Head and Savior of his Church, the heir of all things, and
judge of the world: Unto whom he did from all Eternity give a people to be his seed, and to be by him in time redeemed, called,
justified, sanctified, and glorified.
2. The Son of God, the second Person in the Holy Trinity, being very and eternal
God, the brightness of the Fathers glory, of one substance and equal with him: who made the World, who up holds and governs
all things he has made: did when the fullness of time was come take upon him mans nature, with all the Essential properties,
and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin: being conceived by the Holy Spirit in the Womb of the Virgin Mary, the Holy
Spirit coming down upon her, and the power of the most High overshadowing her and so was made of a Woman, of the Tribe of
Judah, of the Seed of Abraham, and David according to the Scriptures: So that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, were
inseparably joined together in one Person: without conversion, composition, or confusion: which Person is very God, and very
Man; yet one Christ, the only Mediator between God and Man.
3. The Lord Jesus in his human nature thus united to the
divine, in the Person of the Son, was sanctified, anointed with the Holy Spirit, above measure; having in hemp all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge; in whom it pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell: To the end that being holy, harmless,
undefiled, and full of Grace, and Truth, he might be thoroughly furnished to execute the office of a Mediator, and Surety;
which office he took not upon himself, but was there unto called by his Father; who also put all power and judgement in his
hand, and gave him Commandment to execute the same.
4. This office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake, which
that he might discharge he was made under the Law, and did perfectly fulfill it, and underwent the punishment due to us, which
we should have born and suffered, being made Sin and a Curse for us: enduring most grievous sorrows. in his Soul; and most
painful sufferings in his body; was crucified, and died, and remained in the state of the dead; yet saw no corruption: on
the third day he arose from the dead, with the flames body in which he suffered; with which he also ascended into heaven:
and there sits at the right hand of his Father, making intercession; and shall' return to judge Men and Angels, at the end
of the World.
5. The Lord Jesus by his perfect obedience and sacrifice of himself, which he through the Eternal Spirit
once offered up unto God, has fully satisfied the Justice of God, procured reconciliation, and purchased an Everlasting inheritance
in the Kingdom of Heaven, for all those whom the Father has given unto him.
6. Although the price of Redemption was
not actually paid by Christ, till after his Incarnation, yet the virtue, efficacy, and benefit thereof were communicated to
the Elect in all ages successively, from the beginning of the World, in and by those Promises, Types, and Sacrifices, wherein
he was revealed, and signified to be the Seed of the Woman, which should bruise the Serpents head; and the Lamb slain from
the foundation of the World: Being the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.
7. Christ in the work of Mediation
acts according to both natures, by each nature doing that which is proper to it self; yet by reason of the Unity of the Person,
that which is proper to one nature, is sometimes in Scripture attributed to the Person denominated by the other nature.
8.
To all those for whom Christ has obtained eternal redemption, he cloth certainly, and effectually apply, and communicate the
same; making intercession for them, uniting them to himself by his spirit, revealing unto them, in and by the word, the mystery
of salvation; persuading them to believe, and obey; governing their hearts by his word and spirit, and overcoming all their
enemies by his Almighty power, and wisdom; in such manner, and ways as are most consonant to his wonderful, and unsearchable
dispensation; and all of free, and absolute Grace, without any condition foreseen in them, to procure it.
9. This
office of Mediator between God and man, is proper only to Christ, who is the Prophet, Priest, and King of the Church of God;
and may not be either in whole, or any part thereof transferred from him to any other.
10. This number and order of
Offices is necessary; for in respects of our ignorance, we stand in need of his prophetical Office; and in respect of our
alienation from God, and imperfection of the best of our services, we need his Priestly office, to reconcile us, and present
us acceptable unto God: and in respect of our averseness, and utter inability to return to Cod, and for our rescue, and security
from our spiritual adversaries, we need his Kingly office, to convince, subdue, draw, uphold, deliver, and preserve us to
his Heavenly Kingdom.
CHAP. IX, Of Free Will
1. GOD has indued the Will of Man, with that natural liberty,
and power of acting upon choice; that it is neither forced, nor by any necessity of nature determined to do good or evil.
2. Man in his state of innocency, had freedom, and power, to will, to do that which was good, and well-pleasing to
God; but yet was mutable, so that he might fall from it.
3. Man by his fall into a state of sin bath wholly lost all
ability of Will, to any spiritual good accompanying salvation; so as a natural man, being altogether averse from that good,
and dead in Sin, is not able, by his own strength, to convert himself; or to prepare himself hereunto.
4. When God
converts a sinner, and translates him into the state of Grace, he frees him from his natural bondage under sin, and by his
grace alone, enables him freely to will, and to do that which is spiritually good; yet so as that by reason of his remaining
corruptions he cloth not perfectly nor only will that which is good; but does also will that which is evil.
5. The
will of man is made perfectly, and immutably free to good alone, in the state of glory only.
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