C H A P. 23. the Exceptions of yolin Goodu'ine. 305 to them , and received by faith. (3) A Juttified perron is accounted Righte- ous nOt inherently but imputati'lily , and isacceped sft,ch, and prot iuced fuch ; and therefore mutt be righteous indeed : for the jodgaient of God is according to truth; And if nothing be imputed to the juflified , but his faith, unto Righteoufnefs , that faith mua be accounted to be a Perfect Righteouf- nefs ; which yet it is denied tobe. He Excepteth 4. Nothing it more frequent with the befl writers, than that God accounts thofe jufl, who, in flricknefs of; peach , are not fuch , but only have their finne: forgiven them. And. And their ground is good; beeaufe the- alwayes fuppofe , that fuch , as have their fins pardoned , have a perfedt Righteouf- nefs imputed to them , and received by Faith , without which theiecould be no Pardon. Argum. z. If faith should be imputed for Righteoufnefs , then should Ju- ftification be by works r or by fome what in our felves. But the Scripture every where rejeéteth works, & all things in our felves from having any thing to do in Juftification. He excepteth. That by works or fame what in ourfelves may be underflood either by way of merite, and in this fenfe the Confequence of the propofition is fa!(e; or by way of fi'mple performance, 5 then the Affumptionit falfe, for the Scriptu- re exprefly requiretb faith , or a work of us , in order to j~u fiiication. \V hen Faith is required in order to J uftification , in way of Pimple performance , it is not required, as our Righteoufnefs, far lefsas all that Righteoufnefs, which. the Juttified foul muff have ; but only as a mean , or Inftrument, laying hold upon, and putting on the Righteòufnefs of Chrift , which is offered and imputed , and whereby the beleever refteth upon , and wrappeth himfelf in that Rghteoufnefs , as the only Righteoufnefs, wherein he can think toap- peare before God's tribunal , and thus Faith is not confidered as our ad, ma- king up our Righteoufnefs , but as bringing in , with a begger's hand , a Righteoufnefs from without. But when faith or Beleeving is purely confi- dered , as our work , and as an act of obedience in us , and yet is called our Righteoufnefs , & Paid to be all that Righteoufnefs , which is had , & is im- puted , in order to Jollification, it juCtifieth as a work; & upon the account ofit, as fomething in our felves, we are Paid to be Juttified; &all this in perfeEt oppofrtion to the Imputation of Chritt's Righteoufnefs (z) It is but a Popish evafion to fay , that by juflefcation by works , the Scripture only mea- neth juftificationby works ,that are meritorious; as if either any work of ours what-fomever could be meritorious; or as if inch , againft whom Paul difputed , did meane a meritorioufnefs in their works; or as if the Scripture did not inferre merite from every work, that is ours and that we do to ma- ke up a Righteoufnefs by, upon the account of which we might be juftified. Sairh not the Apoftle Rom.4 :4. Now to him that worketh, is the reward not recl<o- n;dof grace , but of debt, inferring debt & fo merite from all works that we do, whereby CO patch up a Righteoufnefs , in order to Iuftification ? He both not diflinguifh betwixt works, that are by way of merite , & o- ther works, but meaneth even filch works, as were performed by Abra- ham; who was far from imagincing any merite in his works. (3.) Ane lure d-.), .G' ,i $v:
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