C H A P. 22, Faith it f if is not imputed: 297 nal of grace. Some blame me for faying, that the a of faith it fe1f, the credere is imputed unto i ighteou fnefs , e that in a proper fenfe , not metonym cally I fay, faith is imputed unto us unto riphteoufnef , for Chrift d? for his righteoufnefs fake. He owneth the fame decl. Sent. ad Ord, f. 65. 66. &: in RfJp. ad 31. Artie. f. iç2 -154. john, Goodwine in his Treatife of Juffification Part, i. Ch. 2. afíerteth the fame molt confidently from Kw). 4. whole reafons hereafter shall be exami- ed. The fame purpofe he profecuteth part. 1. Ch. 6. anfweringthe argu- ments of the orthodox againit that imputation , which shall be confidered in due time. Mr. Baxter in his Confejj. pag. 13 ;19. Excepteth againft fome words in our larger Catechifme & Confeffion of faith , to wit , that it is denied , that the grace of faith , or any an thereof is imputed for jollification, unlefs it be thus underftood , that our faith it not imputed to us as being in Head of a perfe(i Rjghteoufnefs of Obedience , to the ends , as it was required by the Law of works; nor is our faith the matter , or the meritorious caufe of the remi ffion of our fin , or of our right to Salvation. But the meaning of the Affembly is plaine enough againit that , which is the opinion of Socinians & Arminian! as the words of the Anfwer to quefl. 73. of the larger Catech. make manifeft ; where it is Paid ( in anfwere to that Qieftion , How doth faith jufli fie a firmer in the fight of God ?) Faith juflifier a firmer in the fight of God , nut becaufe of thefe other gra- cer which do alwayes accompany it , or of good works , that are the fruit of it nor as if the grace of faith , or any at thereof were imputed to him for his jufli- fication ( & this is confirmed from X9m. 4: ç. comp. with Rom. 1o: Io.) but only as it is an infirutnent , by which he receiveth dJ applyeth Chri fl & his Righ- teoufnefs. And in the Confe .. of Faith. Ch. II. i. i. nor by imputing faith it felt, the an of beleeving, nor any other evangelical obedience , to them , as their R.ighteoufnefr. Nor is this a determining of a point , exprefiy;againft the words of God , as he fuppofeth ; for it is not the bare words, as Hereticks interpret them, that is the minde of God, but the true fenfe & meaning of his words :1And in Confeffions & Catechifines, I judge that matters should be made plaine, and that jr were not plaine & ingenuous dealing to fet down the truth in thefe expreflions, that heretickscanfuhfcribe unto, when it is known,they have an expofition of thefe words contrary to truth : It feemeth. that Mr. Baxter will not fay , in the explication of the Sacrament of the Lords flipper, that the bread is not changed into the body of Chrift, left he feem to contradiEt expreffe Scripture , which faith , that Chrift faid of the bread, this is my body. But now , as to the matter , T afhert, with our Confef & Catechif. and with all the orthodox againft Socinianr & Arminians. That faith 1, confide - red , as our at of obedience , is not that which is accounted our Righteouf- nefs , in order to Juftification , nor that , which is properly imputed to us, for that end; Nor is that the meaning of the Apoftle. Rom. 4. And of this I give thefe reafons. I. The Apoftle, in his whole Difputttbout Juftification, oppofetlr Faith &: Works as inconf itett with , yea as repugnant to other : as is notoiire Bag d
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