in the Fplles of St. Paul, &a 499 however it may be procured, or purchafed, or wrought in us, is yet our own, fo far as any thing can be our own,whileft we are Creatures. This kind of Righteoufnefs therefore is here excluded. And the Lord Chrift being fo made Righteouf- nefs unto us of God, as that all bowing and glorying on our part, or in our felves, may be excluded, yea, being made fo, for this very end, that fo it fhould be, it can be no other - wife, but by the Imputation of his Righteoufnefs unto us. For thereby is the Grace of God, the honor of his Perlon and Mediation exalted , and all occafion of glorying in our felves utterly prefcinded. We delire no more from this teflimony, but that whereas we are in our felves deftitate of all Righteoufnef in the tight of God, Chrift is by a gracious at of Divine Imputation made of God Righteoufnefs unto us, in fuck a way, as t hat all our glorying ought to be in the Grace of God , and the Righteoufnefs of Chrift himfelf. Bellarmine attempts three Aufwers unto this TefIimony, the two firft whereof are coincident s and in the third, being on the rack of Light and Truth, he confeffeth and grants all that we plead for. (i.) He Pays, That Chrift isfaid to be our Righ- teoufnef , becaufe he is the efficient caufe of it, as God is faid to be our ftrength ; and fo there is in the words a Metonymy of the of ct for the caufe. And I lay it is true, That the Lord Chrift, by his Spirit, is the efficient caufe of our Perfonal, Inherent Righteoufnefs. By his Grace it is effe&ed and wrought in us; he renews our natures into the Image of God, and with- out him we can do nothing; So that our habitual and alual Rightoufnefs is from him. But this Perfonal Righteoufnefs is our San&ification and nothing elfe. And although the fame internal habit of Inherent Grace, with operations fuitable thereunto, be fometimes called our Sanififfcation, and force- times our Righteoufnefs, with refpe t unto thole operations 5 yet is it never diflinguithed into our sanctification, and our R ghteoufnefs. But his being made Righteoufnefs unto us in S f f 2 this iÌ
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