C n A P. I2. Mr. Goodwin 's Arg. againff Intput. an f vered, x 6s, true Ergo &C. Auf. This is nothing but a pure fallacy, founded upon a pal pable miflake vii of confoundingrtghteoufnefs & juflification as if they were one & the fame. To difcover this , let us put jufti frcation for Righteoufnefs in the firft Argument , thus. That for which beleevers are juflified , cannot be imputed to them for righteoufnefs , But the Righteoufnefs of Chrilt is that for which beleevers are juflified. Therefore &c. Who teeth not now, how falfe the Major propofition is ; & how impertinent & ridiculous the proba- tion thereof is ? juftification , which is the Effedt, or the thing merited, is not the fame thing with the Righteoufnefs of Chrift , the Meritorious cau- fe thereof. Obj. It. pag. 160. If the Righteoufnefs of Chrifi be imputed to a belee- ver for righteoufnefs in his juflification , then the meritorious caufe of his juftification is imputed. But that cannot be imputed. Ergo &c. He pro - veth the Minor, which is denied , thus , Becaufe the Meritorious caufe, being a kind of Efficient can not be either the matter, or the forme of that , ,.hereof it is Efficient It is an Inviolable Law among fl the forme kinder of caufes, Ma- terial, Formal, Final d?' Efficient, that the two former do only ingredi compofi- tlon, or effedtum , dT are partes rei confliruta ; dry that the two latter are al- wayes extrinfecal , d? Rand without. Anf. All which is but vaine argueing, grounded upon this palpable miflake, that ju(lification is phyfical Effedï, like the whiteing of a wall ; ( which is the example , whereby he illu- Sfrats the matter & therefore he thinketh , that thefe termes are ufed, in this`matter , in as iproper a fenfe , as when they are applied to phyfical caufes & Effedts; whileas the matter is quite otherwife ; & many ofthefe termes are here ufed , but in a metaphorical fenfe. But to the matter, whether Imputed Righteoufnefs, be called the Material caufe, with To- me, or the formal caufe, with others, of juflification, is no great mat- ter, f ing every one bath liberty to explaine, in what fenfe he ufeth thefe termes, in this matter; & I fhould rather choofe to ufe the terme (if fuch like termes mull be ufed) of the formal objeelive caufe, or f&eafon; This is enough to us, That it is that, whereby they become juridically righ teous ; & that , upon the confederation whereof, now imputed to them, they are pronounced Righteous & juftified; & fo is the meritorious caufe of their juflification , & that Righteoufnefs, which covereth them , & upon the account of which they are declared & pronounced Righteous as the payment of the Surety, is as the meritorious caufe in Law of the abfolution of the debtor, & the ground upon which he is abfolved, being accounted his payment, becaufe the debtor & Surety are one perfon in Law. As in a juridical fentence of Abfolution of an accufed debtor, there is no proper formal , or material caufe ; fo neither in the matter of juflification, which is God's juridical Ad & Sentence. Yet I cannot acquiefce to what be addeth, Paying That onlyremilïon of fins or abfolution from punifhment , is as theforme applied unto , or put upon the matter, dr the matter or fubjed it felf, where unto this forme is applied; Not only becaufe , according to his own argueing, one thing cannot be both matter & forme of the fame thing; but becaufe Remiffion of fins is hereby V made
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