44C H AP. Is not meant the merite of works. 483 ,works, in which men may conceite fume merite to lye. If the firfl be laid, then I conceive, the Apoftle would have once mentioned this in argueings & conclufrons, and not alwayes have mentioned the Law & the works of the Law; for with our adverfaries thefe are feparable , and from the one the other can not be inferred : but we fee not the leaft appearance of any -fuch thing in all the Apoftles argueings. And if the /al/ be fail. We have all -we defrre , for thus all works shall be excluded , becaufe men can & ignorant perlons too oft do imagine & conceite a merite in what they do, though not rhamerite, which is ex condign° , Yet that which is .ex congruo. S. If the Apoftle ctifput not againa works, but againfl a conceite of meri to in works, why doth he not oppofe works without this conceite unto this conceite, or to works with this conceite ? Why doth he alwayes oppofe ;faith unto works., -& fay , we arejuitified by faith,without the deedsof the Law ? Is works the fame with conceite of merite , or with works having this conceite adjoinred ? and is faith the famewith works , or with works without this conceite of merite ? Then Adam should have been jùftified by faith , if he had flood in hisftate of innocency ; for heshouldhave been ju- flified by works without this conceite... But what palpable & manifeft per - verting of ehe Scripture & of the works thereof, is t his ? To take this liber- ty of expounding the words of the Scripture, is plainly to make nothing of the Scripture, but what we pleafe. 9. Are there no mediums to prove, that there is no merite in our works in reference to iuftification & Salvation , but fuch as the Apoftle here ufeth, to exclude works from this Intereft ? If this had been all , -which the Apo- ftle had intended , hisfayingwith (Thrift. Luk. i7: Io. SoIltkew:fe ye, when ye shall have done all amp things , which are commanded you , fay , we are unpro- fitable fervants;' we have done that , which was our duty to do , had fufliciently confuted that miftake : But the long feriesof Arguments, with their varie- ty, which the Apoftle here ufeth , manifeftly declare, there was force other thing in his eye; and he levelled atfome other mark, even that, which he plainly declarerh, in his repeatedconclufions,vi . That we are jufti.fiedby faith in jefus (Thrift , without the works of the Law. ia. Gofpel Juftification is of Grace. And therefore is not.of works : Rpm 4: 4. Ephef 2: 9, io. And the Apoftle cleareth the confegtience, becaufe all works have aground of merite with them , & make the reward of debt & give ground to the worker to boaft & to glory before men: thought not befo- re God :for upon there grounds doth the Apoftle reje& all works,in this af- faire ; as we fee Rom. g: 27. & 4 :2. Now to fay, that the Apoftle rejeêleth only fuch works , as men conceite robe meritorious for their intrinfick worth, &: not other works, that merite only ex pabío; is to defiroy the ApofUes Arguments , & to enervat all his difcourfe ; for even works meritorious .ex. congruo, or ex patio, will give ground of boafting before men, & make the reward of debt, as we know it would have been , if Adam's Covenant had. Mood; But 'whatever works lay the foundationof due debt , they fland in op- pofition to the way ofgrace; for grace & debt are not compatible. boo ax. If is o áß
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