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to themselves, that they fhould from their very Hearts disclaim all good Deeds of their own, and throw away every Rag of their own Righteoufnefs, and fhrowd themselves entirely under the Robes of his Righteoufnefs. If they did but this, all was fafe, nothing should hurt them; no Sin, no Habits of Sin, tho' never repented of, fhould do them Mischief. On the contrary, if they thought of any other Terms of obtaining God's Favour, they were under a great and dangerous Mistake. I fay, how could any Man do a greater Differvice to all Piety and Virtue, and all the Interefts of true Religion? How could any Man take a more effectual Course to destroy the Fear of God from among Men, and to let in a Flood of Impiety and Wickedness to over-spread the Earth, than to preach fuch a Doctrine as this, fuppofing he had the Means to make himself believed? And yet, according to the Principles before laid down, such as this in Effect must be the Doctrine of our bleffed Saviour. I dare fay there is none that calls himself a Chriftian, can be so bad as to own these Confequences; but yet I do not fee how the Antinomian Doctrine in this Matter can be acquitted of them.

Well; but it will be faid, Are there not Texts of Scripture that do plainly seem to countenance this Antinomian Doctrine, as you call it? Doth not St. Paul say, That to all Believers their Faith is imputed for

Righteousness without Works? And doth not the fame St. Paul fay, That he defires not to be found in his own Righteousness, but in the Righteousness which is of God by Faith? What will you fay to these Texts?

Why, I fay, give me but Leave to lay thefe Texts fairly before you, and then you yourselves fhall judge whether they make any thing for the Doctrine I am now difputing againft. I am indeed the more willing to take these two Texts into Confideration, because those I am now dealing with have them always in their Mouths, and do in a manner lay the whole Strefs of their Cause upon them.

The firft Text is in Rom. ch. 4. ver. 22. There St. Paul tells us, that Abraham's Faith was imputed to him for Righteousness; and that it was not written for his fake alone, that it was fo imputed to him, but for us alfo, to whom it fhall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Fefus from the Dead.

Now from this Text, fay they, it is plain, that Faith is imputed to all Chriftians for their Righteoufnefs: Nay, more than that, the Apostle tells us in the fixth Verfe of this very Chapter, that the Blessednefs of Chriftians is defcribed by this, that Righteousness is imputed to them without Works. So that here is a Righteousness imputed, and a Righteousness imputed without Works: How then dare we speak

any

any thing against an imputed Righteoufnefs?

I answer, Nobody, that I know of, fpeaks any thing against imputed Righteousness in the Apostle's Sense, but only against Christ's Righteoufnefs, and Virtue, and Innocence, and holy Conversation being fo imputed to us, as that there is no need of our Righteoufnefs, and Virtue, and Innocence, and holy Converfation, which I am fure was not the Apoftle's Senfe, nor ever entred into his Mind. But I pray confider this Text a little more narrowly, and be not carried away by the Sound of a Word. St. Paul here tells us, that Abraham's Faith was accounted to him for Righteousness, in the 3d Verfe. In the 5th Verfe, that it was reckoned to him for Righteousness. And in the 22d Verfe, that it was imputed to him for Righteoufnefs. All these Phrases mean the fame Thing. But is it here faid, or is it faid any where elfe, that Christ's Righteousness was reckoned, or counted, or imputed to Abraham for Righteousness? Nay, is it faid any where in the whole Scripture, that Christ's Obedience or Righteousness should be accounted or imputed to any Men in the World for their own Righteousness? Not a Word of it. There is a vaft Difference (if any Body will mind) between these two Propofitions or Expreffions; To a true Believer his Faith is reckoned or imputed for Righteousness; and this,

To

To a true Believer the Righteousness of Christ is reckoned and imputed for his Righteoufness. I fay there is a vaft Difference between these two Propofitions: The Meaning of the former is, that under the Covenant of Grace (which was procured by our Lord Jefus Chrift) God is pleased to accept of a true fincere Faith instead of a perfect Obedience to the Law. Whofoever truly believes in Jefus Chrift, and fhews forth the Fruits of his Faith, by a fincere, though not perfect, Obedience to God's Commandments, as Abraham did, (and without this his Faith is not a true Faith) fuch a Man is juftified, is accounted righteous before God, as much as if he had performed all the Righteousness of the Law of Works: His Faith is accounted to him for Righteousness.

But when we say that Chrift's Righteoufnefs is imputed to us, as if it was our Righteoufnefs, (which is the other Propofition) it is capable of no other Meaning but this ; That upon account of Chrift's Obedience to God's Laws, God will account us righteous, as much as if we had obeyed them ourfelves. The Holinefs of his Life is fo made ours by Imputation, that God efteems us holy Perfons upon the Account thereof, tho' we are not really fo in our own Perfons.

VOL. V.

X

The

The former Propofition, of Faith being imputed for Righteoufnefs, is certainly true, and I know no Chriftians that deny it.

But the latter Propofition, of Chrift's Righteoufnefs being imputed to us, hath no Foundation in Scripture: Nay, it is certainly not true in that Senfe of the Words that the natural proper Grammatical Conftruction of them leads to. thus much for the firft Text.

And

Well then, (faith the Objector) it seems you plead for a Righteoufnefs of your own, diftinct from Chrift's Righteoufnefs. I muft confefs we do fo. What then? Why, fays he, that other Text of St. Paul will for ever confute and quash all fuch Pretenfions; for doth not he in the 3d of the Philippians, ver. 8. (which is the other Text I am to confider) doth not he there exprefly fay, I count all Things as Lofs for the Excellency of the Knowledge of Jefus Chrift my Lord; and I defire to be found in him not having my own Righteoufnefs, which is of the Law, but that which is thro' the Faith of Chrift, the Righteousnefs of which is of God by Faith? Doth not St. Paul here exprefly declare against and renounce all Righteousness of his own? I grant he doth fo. But what then? If you will seriously mind what kind of Rightcoufnefs of his own he here declares againft,

and

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