BT763 O9 1677

5 2 4 The nature o f 5u fli fication, as declared venant whereby we are juftified or are included in Faith, being the form of it , or of the ejTnce of it, one way or other : For herein men exprefs themfelves in great variety. But fo long as our Works are hereby afferted in order unto our Ju(lification, how [hall a man be certain that they do not include boafling ; or, that they do exprefs the true feule of there words, not of works left any man fhould boaii. There is force /¿ind of Afcription unto our (elves in this matter,which is boafting. If any (hall fay, that they know well enough what they do, and know that they do not boaft in what they afcribe unto Works, I muff fay that in general I cannot ad- mit it. For the Fapiiis affirm of themfelves , that they are moll remote from boafling; yet Iam very well fatisfied that boajling and merit are infeparable. The queftion is not what men think they do, but what Judgment the Scripture pafl^èth on what they do. And if it be faid, that what is in us, is, allo of the Grace and Gift of God, and is fo acknowledged, which excludes all boaflingin our felves, I fay it was fo by the Pharifee, and yet was he an horrible boafter. Let them therefore be fuppofed to be wrought in us in what way men pleafe, if they bealfò wrought by us, and fo be the Works of Righteoufnef, which we have done, I fear their Introduc`lion into our Juflification, doth include boafting in it, becaufe of this affertion of the Apoftle, not of Works left' any man fhould bojri. Wherefore becaufe this is a dangerous point, unlefi . men can give us the dire&, plain indifputable bounds of the Introdudlion of our Works into our Juflification, which" cannot include boafling.in it, it is the Welt courte utterly to exclude them, wherein I fee no danger of any mif ake in there words of the Holy Ghoíf , not of Works left any matt fhould boaft. For if we should be unadvifedly (educed into this boa {ling, we fhould lofe all the benefit which we might 9therwife expect by the Grace of God. 3 The

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