even as by Adams disobedience wee were made sinners and guilty of damnation, his transgression being imputed to us: so are wee made just by the obedience of Christ imputed to us. And as Christ, who knew no sinne, was made a sinner by imputation of our sinnes to him; so we are made the righteousnesse of God in him, that is, righteous in him by the imputation of his righteousnesse, who is God unto us. But indeed the force of the Latine words is to be respected no further, than as they are the true translation of the Hebrew word in the Old Testa∣ment, and of the Greeke in the New.
§. IV. The Hebrew root Tsadaq, from whence those verbs do spring, which signifie to justifie, is by the Septuagint translated, sometimes 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to be just, blamelesse or pure. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to be just, as Iob 9. 2. 15. 20. 10. 15. 15. 14. 25. 4. 33. 12. 34. 5. 35. 7. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to be blamelesse, as Iob 22. 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to be pure, as Iob 4. 17. sometimes 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the same sense, to be just, as being a translation not of a passive, but of a Neuter, as Gen. 38. 26. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Thamar is more just than I. So Psal. 19. 10. j•…•…dicia Dei, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Psal. 51. 6. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉▪ and so Rom. 3. 4. Psal. 143. 2. Esai. 43. 9. cum 41. 26. Ezek. 16. 52. In Ecclus. 18. 1. De∣us solus justificabitur, the Greeke is, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Sometimes 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to be reputed just, as Iob 11. 2. 13. 18. 40. 3. Sometimes to be justified and absolved from sinne, to bee pronounced and accepted as righteous, as Esai. 43. •…•…6. Let us plead together, declare thou 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 first thine iniquities, that thou maist bee justified, Esai. 45. 25. in the Lord all the seed of Israel shall be justified.
The passive is onely once used Dan. 8. 14. where it is said that the sanctuary after 2300. dayes shall bee justified, that is expiated or purged.
In the second conjugation it signifieth to justifie, but not as the word is used in the doctrine of justification: but as it signifieth either to arrogate righteousnesse to a mans selfe, as Iob 32. 2. or to attribute or ascribe it to others, as Iob •…•…3. 32. or to shew himselfe or others righte∣ous, as Ier. 3. 11. Ezek. 16. 51, 52.
In the third conjugation it signifieth to justifie in that sense that the question of justification: And it is verbum forense, a judiciall word used in Courts of judgement, which usually is opposed to condem∣ning. And it signifieth to absolve and to acquit from guilt, and accep∣ting a man as righteous, to pronounce him just, or to give sentence with him. Deut. 25. 1. If there be a controversie betweene men, and they come unto judgement that the Iudges may judge them, then they shall justifie the righteous, and condemne the wicked. Prov. 17. 15. Hee that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord: and so the word is used, 2 Sam. 15. 4. Psal. 82. 3. Iob 27. 5. Esai. 5. 23.
§. V. From the Courts of men and from humane Iudges this word is translated to spirituall judgements, and is attributed to God the Iudge to Christ our Mediatour, and Advocate; to Preachers, as they are the Embassadours of God in Christ his stead. God is said to