318 Rom. IV. Proveth notzhe imputation offaith. C H A P. 24'. by Faith is that Righteoufnefs which is reckoned upon the beleevers fcore. Let us now , in the next place , fee what the Adverfaries fay , to make us beleeve, that Paul faith Rum. 4. That our very aaof Beleeving is imputed to us for Righteoufnefs : do that thus the Apoille muff be underftood , & not as meaning the objeó of faith or the tighteoufnefs of Chriff. The forecited Author tohn Goodwin of Jufßifie. Part. i, Ch. 2. adduceth fore grounds for his gloffe which nattft be examined. His fi'rft ground is the letter of the Scripture, that fpeaks it once & twice yea a third d?' a fourth time verf. 3, 9, 22, 23, 24. Certanely , faith he , there is not -any truth in Religion, not any article of rheChriflian beleefe , that can boa fl of the letter of the Scripture , more full , exprelfe, pregnant for it. Anf. We linde it only twice laid , in exprefs termes , that faith is counted for Righteonfnefs verf. 5. and againe verf. 9. that faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteoufnefs. iris then too widely fpoken , when he faith , that there is not any truth in Religion , nor any article of the Chriftian Faith , that can boaft of more full , expreffe & pregnant letter of Scripture ; yea even , though it were ,.s oft & as exprefie as he allegeth : but we muff let many fuch confidente ex- preffìons paf e with him. (2) The queftion is not touching the letter , or the rwords; but the true meaning : & if a truth be but once delivered ,. in the Scriptures , it is fuffìcient to command our faith ;. but words never fo oft re. pealed , when corruptly gloffed,yeeld no foundation to faith. We know , what Pap:flr fay , of thew words , This is my body, which with them is as full , expreffe and pregnant a proof of their dream ; as this paffage of Paul's is of our Adverfaries fancies. Aud we know what 4rrians fay of thefe words My Father is greater than I : And yet their falfe gloffes cannot be embraced for truthes , let them boaft of expreffe Scriptures , never fo much. And what errour I pray , or herefie is it , that doth not pretend CO the like ? Let ¡¡"us fee his next ground. 2. Saith he. The fcope of the place rejoiceth in the Interpretation given. I grant indeed, that this is a good rule or interpreting of Scriptures ; for it is as a fare threed to lead us thibugh many labyrinths : Bur, which is the miferie , many imagine that to be the.fcope of the place , which is not fo indeed ; & thus perv.rtingormiftaking the fcope, they muff needs pervert all. Yet let us fee how he would make the fcope contribute to his Notions. The Apo - fllesmain drift (faith he) was to hedge up with themes that falfe way of jufli- fication , which lay through works d legal performances ; &- with all to open and dsfcover the true way of juflification, that is , to make known what they mull do, e' what God requireth of them to their juflifieation; d7 that it (as gob. 6:28,29.) faith or to beleeve in the proper d7 formal figni ftcation , & not the righteoufnefr of Chrifl, this he required of Chrifl him felf, he requireth our faith in Chrifihttnfelf, d?' nos in his righteoufnefr. Anf Paul's (cope is indeed to hedge up all Jollifica- tion by the Law , or by the works thereof, in fubordination to this other,. of sheaving , that in the Gofpel, the Righteoufnefs of God is revealed from faith to faith Rom. I:,17. And therefore he cannot fpeak , for the Imputa- tion of Faith, in its proper & formal fignification ; for that is a work, corn- manded
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