C.H A P. 4. Rom. IV. Proveth not the imputation of faith, 315 fled ; But Paul is (peaking of a righteoufnefs that was accounted to Abraham the father of the faithful , in order CO Juftification , & that behoved to be a perfeét righteoufnefs; for all his works , wherein was an ImperfeEt Righte- oufnefs , were rejected : Ir cannot be accounted for a perfect righteoufnefs, becaufe then it should be accounted to be , what it is not , and this accoun- ting being an aft of God's judgment, it ..would follow , that the judgment of God , were not according to truth ; contrare to from. 2: 2. The reafon is, be- caufe our frith is not perfeef in it felf, there being much drofi'e admixed , many degrees wanting in it : far leffe can it be a Perfed Righteoufnefs, feing a Perted Righteoufnefs mull comprehend full Obedience to the whole Law of God. 2. The Imputation , whereof the Apoftle fpeaketh , is of fome thing to be made the Beleevei's by the Imputation of God , which the Beleever had notbefore : But this cannot be Faith , or the work of Beleeving, becaufe .Faith is ours before this Imputation ; for Abs sham beleeved God , & then followed this Imputation; and verf. 34. it is faid that it (to wit, force other thing , than the at of beleeving ) shall be imputed to us , if we belee- ve : therefore it is not the ad of Beleeving , properly taken , that is impu- ted., or accounted here. 3. Faithbeing antecedent to this Imputation , if the a6.t of Beleeving be imputed., the word impute , or account here, muff not lgnifie to Bellow, Grant or:Reckon upon their, fcore ; but limply to Elteem , Judge or Repute : and thus Faith or the ad of beleeving shall be in a beleever , and yet not be a Righteoufnefs, till God repute it , to be fo : But when God efteemeth, judgeth , or reputeth any thing to be in us , he doth not change it nor ma- ke it fomething , that it was not before ; but judgeth it to be , what it is in- deed, for his judgment is according to truth Rpm. 2: 2. 4. This fenfe & glo% is quite oppofite unto, and inconfnent with the Apoftles maine lcope in the full part of that Eprítle , which is to prove , that Righteoufnefs is now revealed from faith to faith R,om. I: 17. and that we are not "unified by the works of the Law , but freely by grace , through the Redemption that is in Jefus Chrifl , whom God hath let forth to be a Propitiation through faith in his blood kom. 3: 24, 25. And therefore not through the Imputation of Faith , the at of Beleeving, or any work of Righteoufnefs, which we have done: for that should not exclude boalling, or glorying; but through the Imputation of the Righteoufnefs of Chrift, re- ceived by Faith. 5. That which was accounted to Abraham for righteoufnefs, did exclu- de all works, and that to the end, that all ground of boaning , even be- fore men_, might be take4 awaywer(. 2. & 3. Therefore Faith as a work , or the aßì of beleeving can not be it , which is here Paid to be reckoned or ac- counted to Abraham for righteoufnefs : for this is a work, and being made the Ground & Formal Objective Gaule of juftification, can not ¡but give ground of glorying before men. 6. This gloffe maketh. the Apoftlesdifcourfewholly incoherent ; for he faith veil: 4, 5. Now to .him, that u'orlieth, is the reward not reckoned e_ f grace , Q.. q but
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