C H A P. 23, the Exceptions of ohn. Goodtaine. l more than we daitfay. (y) He faith , we are niaae formally righteous, with the pardon of fins : But this is never proved , and it bath been often affer- ted: And how will he make this a Formal R ghteoufnefs, & Righteoufnefs properly fo called ? Is this any confo> miry to a Law in whole , or in part ? Did not himfelf infinuateïn his anlwere to the first Argurn. that.nothing can with truth , and in futficient propriety of fpeech , be called a Righteoufnefs but what is a conformity to the Law of God ? And fore I am , Patdon of fins is not any fuch conformitie. ( o) The fumme of this anlwere is, this Faith is not imputed , as a Righteoufnefs ; but it is faid to be imputed unto Righte- oufnefs , becaufe it is the fulfilling of the Condition of the new Covenant , whereby we come to be made Righteous,meritorioul y by Christ's death , & Righteous formally with the pardon of fins. And what a wiredrawn , un- telligible & felf- contradictory fenfe this is , let every one judge. He denieth the confequence, 2. Becaufe , fuppofe that this inference lay in the bowels of what we hold , that faith were a proper righteoufnefs ; yet neither would this argue , that therefore God should receive a righteoufnefs from us , in our juttification; for we rather receive our faith from God for our jollification, shenGod from us , in our jollification ; though l grant that in a fenfe a far off , do" with much adoe it may ( haply) be made a truth, that God receives our faith from us in our jufiificalion. Anf. But, fure, though Adanz'c obedience was ori- ginally from Go .1 & efficiently, he being the First Caufe; yet had Adam been juftified , according to that Old Covenant , he had been juftified by his own works , & not by the Righteoufnefs of another, bellowed on him by God ; fo he had been faid to have prefented his own Righteoufnefs unto God , in order to his jollification , and God might have been faid to have received it from him , in his justification , or rather, in order thereunto. Now , jolt fo is it here , as to Faith : for faith is our work , & we come with it to God & he taketh it ftoni us , & thereupon juftifieth us , according to our Adverfaries opinion , not in a fenfe a far off or made with much ado, . as he fuppofeth , but in a fenfe molt plaine & obvious. He faith laflly. That that imputation of faith for righteoufnefs , which he pro - teileth, fiippofeth a righteoufnefs given unto d7 received by men, becaufe it Could not be trusty fait', that God Both impute faith for righteoufnefs unto any man, except be £huId aiale him righteous upon his belcevsn.g. Now, as it is impofJible, that a man should be made righteous without a righteoufnefs in one kinde or other ; fo is it impofihle alto, that that righteoufnefr , wherewith a man is made righteous in ju- flification should be derived upon him from any other, but from God atone for this righteoufìaefe can benoneothe, , but forgivenefs of fins. Anf. (t) How can the Imputation of Faith fuppofe a Righteoufnefs given, unlefs the Righteouf- nefs be given , before Faith be imputed, feing what is fuppofed is alwayes fir(tin order ofnature, if not alfo in order of time ? And if matters be thus, fins are firth forgiven , and then Faith is imputed. (2 ) 1f the fuppofing of a righteoufnefs will follow , to snit Remiflion of fins ,. then there is no anlwere to the argument , for the argument fpeaketh of a Righteoufnefs anterior to ju(hification , and in orderthere unto, (3) It is againe faid , but was never proved, that to forgive fins is to give a Rightepnfuefs. And I- would ask,, What
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