25.,4., Of imputedckight.01Faith,juflif .and Mans duty : them not, they are as greatInftancesasmoll I remember, except the de- fenders ofTranfubftantiation, how far education; or cuftoni,. or .humane dependance, or fation andpartiality and prejudice, may blind the reafon of profeflèd Chriftians and godly men. And that man that dare lay his comforts and hopes of ;unification and life upon fuch expofitionsof Gods , Word, fiouldbe model in crying down the falle hopes of.others, and reproving them that build upon the fand. Lib. Tau have made a long difcourfe to makeus odious upon afalfe fup_. pofition' we do not fay, that in all or any of thofe Texts, by faith is not meant faith : but only that it is not faith as faith, or as anall of ours, but as connoting its óblet, the Righteoufnefs ofehrift. P. r. Alas ! a great number of better men than you, have too oft and,, plainly faid without dihintion that [Faith is not imputed to usfor righ- teoufnefs J. I hope theymeant better than they fpake ; but I would it could be hid from the world, that thefe words are not only in thelnde- pendents Savoyconfe/on, but even in the Confeffion of the wefminfo'er Affembly, cap. it. [ "Not by imputing faith it felf, the alt of believing cc or any other Evangelical obedience to them as their Righteoufnefs : but "by imputing the obedience and fatisfaltion of chrift to them. ] So alfo in the larger Catechifm [Not as if the Grace offaith or any aft thereof were imputed to him for his Juftification. ] How well foever they may mean, Gods oft repeatedWord fhould rather have been expounded, than denyed. a. But what mean your cloudy words; [It is not faith asfaith, but as connoting the objet??] They that cannot fpeak clearly, feldom clearlyr underhand what to (peak. The Qeftion is, Whether it be really and properlyFaith, that is meant in all thefeTextst or whether it be only drifts righteoufnefs ? If you fay, that It is both in feveral refpecls, you grant then that it is faith it felf in one refpeót, that is imputed tous for righteoufnefs. If it be only the objet? and notfaith, why is it fo often called [faith, believing, being perfwaded,&c. ] Will you fay, that It is not faith as an all of ours only? Whoever dreamt it was t For á quatenus ad o nne : If as an att, then: every aíì ( even plowing, and walking, and finning) would juftifie us. Will you fay, that It is not Faith as a Moral Virtue or Goodall only? Who faith it is For then every moral good at? would juftifie men. Do you fay, that It is not by faith as faith in generet It is granted you For elfe (à quatenus ad omne) any at offaithwould juftifie, even believing that there is a Hell. Will you fay, that it is not any other fpecíes of faith, betides our bap tifmal faith We grant it you. But if you will alto fay, that It is not this fpecies, even the chrifiian faith neither that is meant, but only the objet of it, then, s. Why fay you, that it is Faith as connoting,the objet?; contraditing your Pelf: for if be not faith at all, it is not faith as connoting ; that which is not, doth not connote. z. And why fay you, that it is not faith it Pelf e'en- daily t Is not the object eflential as an objet to the at in [peck: Is it not "efleñtial to our Chriftian faith to be a Believing inChrih t 3. But what loberunprejudicedChriftian that readeth the Text through- out, and bath not been inftruted to pervert it, can choofe but fee that it is Faith it elf that the Apofle fpeaketh oft and that it is our perfonal Relation offRi hteoufnefs that it is Paid to be imputed for t And who can believe that this is the lenfe [ flbrahams faith was imputed to him for drifts
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