(246) and order of giving us pardon and juilification, is upon our Be- lieving, and not while we are Infidels : and that this is a juftif, cation in Law fenfe, and not meerly in confcience ' as was before proved : It was not only by thrift and the Abfolute Promife made to the Elea, but it was by the Law of Faith that boalting was excluded. I will not flat-1d anfwer the vain objedions here brought in by fome, knowing that the light of the exprefs text to the impartiakmay fuffice. erfrgument ai.o. Shall be from all thofe texts, which fay Faith, is imputed to us for righteoufnefs : which upon thefe twoCon- ficlerations,do cleerly evince the point. i. That it is not only a judicial Sentence, much lefs a fenfe or Reception in confcience , which bothimply that the perfon is before conftituted or made righteous in Law ; But it is the very giving and imputing of righteoufnefs it felf that is here mentioned. z. When the intereft of. Faith is fuck that it is Paid to be imputed for righteoufnefs, it is undenyable that it is not while we are Infidels that weare righte- ons. go not about now to determine how far, and in what fenfe it is that Faith is imputed: but in what fenfe foever it is, it fhews that Faith theremuff be,nr elfe how can it be imputed for righteouf- nefs at all. As for them that fay,that by Faith,is notmeant Faith, but Chrift,I hope I fhall not believe them,as longas I believe that Godwould be underflood : and that the Word is a Lamp and a Light, and not a darknefs. And for fome of the Reformed Di- vines themfelves, that fay that it is (brill believed in,that is meant by-Faith,though I doubt not but FaithEffentially includeth Chrift itsobject, and therefore accordingly connotes it, and therefore whenever it is laid that Faith is imputed for righteoufnefs, or that we are jultified byFaith: it is connoted that we are in a more ex- cellent kind of caufality jufticied by Chrift, then by Faith ( Faith indeed being no proper caufe) ; Yet I believe not that by Faith, is not meant Faith it felf, but only Chrift : and the contrary to him that will read the text impartially is as evident,asany fenfecan be in words But yet if it be Chrift believed ie., that is meant by Faith, then Faith there muff be : It is not Chrift defpifed, or not believed in that juftifieth, or pardoneth, or abfolveth any. I will reciteSome of the words Rom. 4. 3. &c. For what faith the scripture ? Abrahambelieved god, and it was twitted to him for righteopifneft.
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