Divinity but here I want that Candor For not content to glean amongst Volkelius his Sheaves which an honest man may doe he steals the very Shocks and never so much as once owns his Benefactor Lib. 3. de verâ Relig. p. 173. Deus non nisi per Christum cognosci potest ut qui Dei inconspicui Imago est 2 Cor. 4. 4. eúmque id est ejus voluntatem nobis enarravit Now will you have our Authors Translation in Masquerade Christ hath made a True representation of the Divine Nature and Will and it 's plain that in this Sence Christ is called the Image of God 2 Cor. 4. 4 It 's Plain yes wondrous plain that Volkelius is of that Opinion and for any other plainness we are to seek For so he Ibid. Quâ de causâ splendor gloriae Dei character substantiae ejus appellatur Hebr. 1. 3. utpote clarissimè perfectissiméque Divinam voluntatem nobis explanans But here I perceive our Author will compound willingly with him and fairly part stakes with him Upon which account sayes he as well as with respect to his Divine Nature he is call'd The Brightness of his Fathers Glory and the express Image of his Person And when our Author has yielded him The May be so we remember his Excellency in concluding it Must be so I confess I have neither list nor leisure to follow our Author through the tedious Ramble of his Repetitions because I see he loves no bodies Tautologies but his own nor shall I be much concern'd to enquire after that odd generation of Men who if our Author may be believed clamour most unmercifully that Christ is never Preach'd unless he be Named in every Sentence For I know well it 's easie to make a Man of Clouts and then to arraign condemn and execute in Effigie the Creature oâ—… our own Making Thus did the Barbarous Heathens cloath the Primitive Christians in Bears-skins and then expose them to be torn in pieces by the Dogs And thus are Christians dress'd up by the bloody Papists in the Sambenit or Devils-Coat and then committed as Hereticks to the greater Mercy of the devouring flames I know it 's an easie thing with our Author to Name Christ a hundred times and yet to speak as very little of Gospel as he has done But one thing I must and desire the Reader that he will not fail to take special Notice of I find our Author over the shooes in Love and most desperately doting upon his own Critical Learning for having observed to us Ch. 1. that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eph. 4. 20. signifies not Taught as our English Translation jejunely renders it but instructed emphatically Instructed And suspecting least by this time in a dust of words and hurry of Business we might have quite forgot it he very charitably rubs up our Memory and referrs us to the place of its Birth where that happy Criticisme first drew its breath and appeared in the World 'T is Chapter the First Reader Oh! never forget Chapter the First Happy Chapter the First that first teem'd so precious a Notion for the Benefit of succeeding Ages Now because these Papers of mine and his are like to be long-lived and perhaps not to survive the year of their Birth and yet to be deprived of the Observation would be a loss Irreparable let me begg of our Author to send this enclosed Note to Mr. P. which I have left open that he may have the Honour of Letters Patents TO THE Reverend Author of the Synopsis Criticorum aliorumque S. S. Interpretum SIR BEing a great Admirer of and a small subscriber to your learned Labours I was also Ambitious to contribute something to their Intrinsick Value Be pleased therefore when Ephes. 4. 20. shall call for your Industry to take special Notice of the latâ—… Observation of Mr. W. S. and instead of Taught to read Instructed and as you will thereby enrich your Work and doe right to the Author so will you Oblige Posterity and particularly Your humble Servant N. N. Having thus fairly rid my hands of the Encumbrance of our Author I might honestly wind up this Section did I not think it might be acceptable to the Reader to receive a Bâ—…eviate of some of the True Reasons why it was Necessary Christ should come into the world the main Work he had to do here and the special Design of that Work in reference to God and Man 1. The Causes rendering it Necessary that the Son of God should once appear in this lower World are such as these 1. The first Cause lay deep 〈◊〉 the Bosom Counsel and Decree of God who 〈◊〉 he viewed the Fall and Revolt of Man from 〈◊〉 the world was so did he purpose effectually to recover again to himself his Elect by Christ Therefore is God said 1 Tit. 1. 2. to promise 〈◊〉 Life before the World began that the Faith of 〈◊〉 Elect eyes this Promise that the Ministers of 〈◊〉 Gospel do preach this Promise all of which 〈◊〉 onely Yea and Amen in Christ 2. The Complyance of the Son of God in pursuance of this Eternal Purpose is very considerable who was autâ—…ritatively sent and voluntarily came to speed the Decree and Counsel of God Heb. 10. 7. Lo I 〈◊〉 to do thy Will O God 3. The Early Promise of a Redeemer almost from the Foundation of the World made God a Debtor not to Man buâ—… to his own Truth to send him in the Fulness of tiâ—… into the World who before all Time was purposeâ—… and in the first dawnings of Time was promised Heb. 10. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iâ—… the Beginning of the Scripture in the Head of the Book it is written viz. Gen. 3. 15. That the seed of the Woman should bruise the Serpents head 4. The renewed and frequently repeated and gradually â—…nlarged Promises and Propheâ—…ies of a Redeemer once to be actually exhibited whereby God kept alive the drooping Hope and languishing Faith of his Church as Candidates in a state of Expectancy superadded another Cause of the Necessity of Christs coming in the Flesh Gen. 49. 10. The Scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a Law-giver from between his feet till Shiloh come Isa. 9. 6. Unto us a Child is born unto us a Son is given and his Name shall be called Wonderfull Counsellor the Mighty God the Everlasting Father the Prince of Peace 5. The Types and Shadowes which from the Beginning represented him to the Faith of Believers had all their Strength Vertue and Efficacy from Him and that also made it Necessary that Christ the Substance should come to answer them for what could the blood of Bulls and Goats signifie to the appeasing of Gods Anger the removing of Guilt and the making peace betwixt God and Man which the Scripture frequently assures us they did doe and yet the same Scripture as clearly assures us in their own Nature they could not doe otherwise than with respect to
Gospel the same Faith the same Blessing with Christians he was justified the same way but so had our Father Abraham But what is our Author's judgment in the case I confess that 's hard to discover p. 243. he gives us The Righteousness of God the Righteousness of Faith and the Righteousness of God which is by the Faith of Iesus Christ as Synonima's And again expresly p. 245. he observes it to us for a choice discovery That the Righteousness of God is the Righteousness of Faith or Righteousness by the Faith of Christ. And now p. 246. he is peremptory That this Righteousness of Faith and this alone can recommend us to God Which says he the Apostle proves from the example of Abraham and adds That Abraham who was the Father of the faithful was set forth for a patern of our Iustification Now scarce one of his Readers in a thousand but would have been trying Conclusions out of his premises Abraham's Righteousness was the Righteousness of Faith But the Righteousness of Faith is the Righteousness of Faith in Christ therefore Abraham's Righteousness was the Righteousness of Faith in Christ. Again says he the Apostle proves that this Righteousness of Faith and this alone can recommend us to God If then there be but one only Righteousness that can recommend us to God either Abraham and Christians have one and the same Righteousness or else one of them must needs want a Righteousness that can recommend them to God But now from these premises our Author concludes that Abraham's Faith was not a Faith in Christ. Then say I His Righteousness was not the Righteousness by Faith in Christ And then it was not neither the Righteousness of Faith no nor the Righteousness of God for our Author has warranted us p. 243 and 245. That the Righteousness of Faith the Righteousness of God and the Righteousness by the Faith of Christ are but all one Righteousness But here we have the Quintessence and Elixir of our Author 's rational Abilities To this purpose he argues The Father of the faithful and his believing Children are justified both one way But Abraham the Father of the faithful was justified one way and therefore Believers who are his Children are justified another Now I like our Author's Conclusions dearly when they are together by the ears with their premises Again Thus he reasons Abraham was set forth for a patern of our Iustification But nothing ought to be like its patern and therefore you may be sure if Abraham was justified one way Believers are justified another Again The Apostle proves what way Believers are justified from the example of Abraham But now the Apostle you know always argues from one sort of things to another his way of concluding is by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And therefore if Abraham was justified by Faith you may conclude from thence then Christians are justified by Works and if Believers are justified by Faith in Christ then to be sure Abraham was justified some other way The plain truth is our Author is got into a Cramp and has so hamper'd and bangled his matters that I am very confident none of his Readers do understand him and it were well if he understood himself There are two Enquiries he will make to enlighten us in this Mystery 1. What that Faith was whereby Abraham was justified 2. What Agreement there is between the Faith of Abraham and the Faith in Christ. 1. What that Faith was whereby Abraham was justified To which he answers 1. Negatively It was not a Faith in Christ. Which Determination might have better become any mans mouth than hiâ—… whose hand has subscribed the Seventh Article of the Church of England Both in the Old-Testament and the New Everlasting Life is offered to Mankind by Iesus Christ who is the only Mediator between God and man being both God and man And I do the rather urge him with this Article because it speaks not only what respect God might have to Christ in bestowing Eternal Life but that there was an offer to Mankind of Eternal Life through Christ which speaks that respect which Believers had to a Mediator in their Faith But perhaps these Articles are but matter of course and form and therefore I shall press him with what has more weight than a sorry Subscription The Righteousness of God says he p. 245. is the Righteousness of Faith or Righteousness by the Faith of Christ But Abraham's Righteousness was the Righteousness of God and therefore it was the Righteousness of Faith or the Righteousness by the Faith of Iesus Christ Yea says our Author Christ was the material Object of Abraham ' s Faith that is he believed the promise of God's sending Christ into the World John 8. 56. Your Father Abraham rejoyced to see my day and he saw it and was glad Hence it 's evident that Abraham had a great and personal concern in Christ's coming into the World which made his heart leap within him The same which the Apostle expresseth Rom. 5. 11. We joy in God through our Lord Iesus Christ through whom we have received the Atonement For what cause of all this triumph all this joy that Christ should come into the World some thousands of years after he should be dead and buried and rotten in his grave to preach a Gospel in which he had no concern and for which he should not be one pin the better But our Author will prove that Abraham's Faith was not a Faith in Christ because no man could believe in Christ till he came But I prosess my self otherwise perswaded and that the actual exhibition of Christ in the flesh was not at all times absolutely necessary to a believing in him Abraham believed that testimony which God gave of his son that in him all the Nations of the earth should be blessed He believed that God would bless him for the sake of Christ. He saw Christ slain from the Foundation of the World in Sacrifices He saw a Redeemer as that way which God had chosen to bruise the head of the Serpent which St. Iohn expounds 1 Epist. 3. 8. by destroying the works of the Devil and Paul Heb. 2. 14. by destroying the Devil that is so far as he had got the power of Death into his hands by sin and in that security which he received from the promise of God and from Christ who was the Reason of its being made good Yea and Amen His Soul did rejoyce with exceeding great joy for so much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 do import But our Author has a Notion of Believing that is worth two of this and will do his work To believe any thing upon the Authority of Christ is the true Notion of believing in him To which I answer 1. Supposing this to be the true Notion of believing yet might Abraham receive a Doctrine upon the Authority of Christ before his Manifestation in the Flesh Christ was Mediator before his
easily cured and at length easily discovered but then impossible to be removed according to the French Proverb Toutes les maladies termines en Ique font aux Medecins la Nique And therefore e re things are gone too far and we be given over by Aesculapius himself as those whom safety it self cannot save let us try if we may prevent a growing evil And 1 it stumbles some I perceive that he layes the Happiness of Mankind in the Knowledge and Love of God and then the Means to that End in making known himself and his will which looks as if the Means and the End were coincident and the knowledge of God were the way to know God 2 He supposes that God has by one Means or other made himself known by which Means if he understand no more than the lowest Agents and subordinate Instruments it will not doe his work and we can grant what will not serve his Cause but if he exclude the Son of God who is the Sovereign Revealer of the Fathers Counsels in all Ages that we shall not grant and that he cannot prove 3 We are more dissatisfied about this one point that he makes the Revelation of Gods Will a sufficient Means for Happiness to all Ages for though it were granted to have been so in the state of primitive Integrity yet it 's not so in those Ages when the whole world lay in wickedness The Spirit of God describes the state of Sin to be a state of Impotency Rom. 5. 6. When ye were yet without strength in due time Christ dyed for the ungodly There must goe something more then to make the Means sufficient to attain that End than a Naked discovery of what God would have Sinners doe even strength and ability to doe it for the Will of God was and is the same Doe this and live and if strength be not afforded to fulfill this Law exactly which none could ever yet find nor a Substitute allowed which some will not accept Man may and must perish as well with as without the discovery of Gods Will with this onely difference that he sees now his sin going before him unto Iudgement 4 It 's very vain to talk of Mans tampering about doeing the Will of God in Order to Eternal Life till some means be found out to take up the old Controversie and make a peace betwixt God and his Creature that they may treat upon other Terms We are sure Adam thought it so And the first in its kind may well be allow'd the just measure of all after Attempts who when he had sinn'd went and hid himself at once discovering both his Rational fear which was to stand before God and his foolish contrivance which was to hide himself from God in the Covert of the Trees under which nay under Rocks and Mountains it had been more comfortable for him ever to have shrowded his guilty Face had not God revealed the postliminary means of conversing with him 5 We think our Authors Reason is as lame as his Assertion viz. Because God is never wanting to his Creatures happiness To which I return 1. God will not have his Goodness impeached because he exerts it such a Way Method and Measure as seemed good to his own infinite wisdom and sovereign pleasure If any shall dare to charge God foolishly I doubt not he will acquit himself well enough but if he will plead his Prerogative he can demur to the Iurisdiction of the Court and refuse before the Barr of Imperious and sawcy Reason to give an Account of any of his matters Job 33. 13. But 2. God did create man upright at first and if he departs from the Law of his Creation I know not whether an Action will lye against his Goodness should he leave him to perish in his Apostacy A Father is not bound to set up his Son as oft as he will shut up shop and become Bankrupt 3. God was not wanting to the Happiness of his Creature when fallen but did provide a remedy for him and remembred him in his law in his lost Estate because his mercy endured for ever but then 't is upon another Account than this Assign'd by our Author for he supposes That Gods not being wanting to his own Glory and not being wanting to his Creatures happiness stand upon one and the same level in equal terms of Necessity but I suppose quite another thing God had not been wanting to his own Glory could have secur'd that well enough though Man had perished though he had never revealed a Mediator betwixt God and Man And that he has done it is to be ascribed to a Sovereign Act of Grace But I see what things are vereing to Deus non erit Deus nisi homini placuerit God shall not be God unless he approve himself to every Caprice of a Rational Divine who has two peculiar Priviledges and incommunicable Properties one that he may call whom he will Irrational and the other that he may canonize what he will for Reason 4. I 'le throw him in a little one Although he tells us God is not wanting to the happiness of his Creatures and therefore by one means or other he revealed himself to the World yet he also acquaints us p. 30. Long and sad experience proved all these wayes ineffectual And as good never a whit as never the near For all this was but rubbing a Brickbatt and putting a Blackmore into a Lather and so we are but just as we were for though he was not wanting to them yet it seems wisdom was wanting to Him whose Contrivances did not attain their Ends and thus our Author has spun a fair thred I 'le onely mind him of the Epigram Turpe est difficiles habere Nugas Et stultus labor est Ineptiarum Having discoursed these things in general it 's a fine sight to stand by whilest our Author is dividing the World into Provinces and its several Appartments And you shall hear him not â—…ispute but with the Cartesian Provincias dare Atomis or split a single Cummin-seed into four and twenty equal parts 1 For the state of Integrity How God was not wanting to his Creatures Happiness therein he informs you at large He left such visible Impresses of his own Wisdom and Power on the works of Nature and planted in the Mind of Man such a Natural Knowledge of himself that it was as easie to discover the first Author of all things as it 's now for a well disposed Eye to see the Sun when it shines and while Man preserved his Innocency God Himself did not disdeign to converse with him And so I hope Adam is well provided for Some may think that we are here less agreed and others that we are more of a Mind than indeed we really are I shall not take notice of that Phrase of conversing with God it looks as if it were neer a kin to and well nigh as bad as that of holding Communion with God which
Ambiguous for who can prophesie whether he means an entire perfect and universal return to Duty according to the first Covenant or no And Vain for admitting that God is ready to pardon Sinners upon their Return Man is but where he was till he be enabled by Grace to return And as False as Vain and Ambiguous for we find no Revelation that God will pardon past sins upon our Return for the future without reference to that Compensation which he has provided for his wronged Governing Iustice by Jesus Christ. 5. There 's a great Cheat put upon us in those words The Light of Nature the works of Creation and Providence those manifold Revelations God hath made of himself especially that last and most perfect Revelation by Iesus Christ assure us c. If he supposes that any one of these singly considered will assure us of all that followes especially that God is thus ready to pardon Sinners i'ts the very thing in Question and ought to have been strongly proved and not weakly supposed but if he take them joyntly including the Revelation made by and through Jesus Christ we grant it but then the misery on 't is this is the thing he should have fought against the Doctors own Assertion at which he has such an aking tooth That Gods pardoning Mercy could never have entred into the Heart of Man but by Iesus Christ but now see how neatly he would shuffle off the business These Properties of God are plainly revealed in the Scripture without any further acquaintance with the Person of Christ. But this will not doe his work For 1. What 's now become of the Light of Nature if after all we must be beholden to the Light of Scripture But thus the poor Gentiles after all his zealous stickle in their Cause are left in the lurch to shift for themselves as well as they can 2. That these Properties of God are plainly revealed in the Scripture is very true but then the plainness of their Revelation lyes in this that God will pardon Sinners upon the Account of a Mediator Perhaps he would put a trick upon us by that word Further and therefore to content him let him understand that we own all these Properties of God to be plainly revealed in Scripture without any further Acquaintance with Christs Person than what is therein Revealed But our Author joggs on still Had Christ never appeared in the World yet we had Reason to believe that God is thus wise and good viz. to pardon Sinners and holy and mercifull not onely because the Works of Nature and Providence but the Word of God assures us he is so but let me wedge in a word for all his Haste 1. The Word of God assures us not he is so without reference to a Mediator And if Christ had never appeared in the World first or last perhaps we had had no Word of God and if we had there would not have been one syllable in that Word of the Pardon of Sin but of the Wrath and just Vengeance of God due to it 2. Jesus Christ was once to appear in the World to reconcile God and Man and as without Revelation we had never known so without his Interposition we had never enjoy'd the Pardon of Sin The truth is Christ was a Teacher and a Prophet to reveal the Nature and Will of God before his Appearance in the flesh The Spirit of Christ signified before-hand the Sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow 1 Pet. 1. 11. and those Sufferings had a Virtue and Efficacy to procure the Pardon of Sin long before they were actually undergone for in Gods Acceptation he was a Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World yet still our Authors Larum is not run down The appearance of Christ did not first discover the Nature of God to us No sure God had revealed himself to be such a God long before yet still upon the Account of that Propitiation and Atonement which in infinite Wisdom and Grace he had provided Acts 10. 43 To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth on him shall receive Remission of sins It 's much to a little that our Author will flam off all this with a fine Tale of a Tub that it 's not the Person of Christ but a Doctrine a Gospel a Church an Office or something or nothing provided it be not Christ himself that is here intended but the Apostle has hedged out that Evasion v. 39. It 's he that was slain and hang'd on a Tree he that was raised again the third day and v. 42. he that is ordained of God to judge the quick and the dead And yet perhaps our Author with one Cast of his Office can make it out how a Doctrine a Church may be stain and hanged on a Tree too and if they be no better than some that have troubled the world as no great matter if they were however I shall not concern my self in its Confutation For ought then that I can see the Doctor may keep his Principles to himself and his Confidence too that Gods pardoning Grace could never have enter'd into the heart of man but by Christ that is that none could have had any security whatever God is in his own Nature that ever God would or could have pardoned Sinners without some Provision made for the vindicating the Honour of his Justice as Ruler of the World by a Mediator which onely could be the Lord Jesus Christ. And to shut up this matter we will stand to the Determination of the Church of England Art 7. The Old Testament is not contrary to the New for both in the Old and the New Testament everlasting Life is offer'd to Mankind by Christ who is the onely Mediator between God and Man wherefore they are not to be heard which feign that the Old Fathers did look onely for transitory Promises Again Art 18. They are also to be held Accursed that presume to say that every man shall be saved by the Law or Sect that he professeth provided he be diligent to frame his Life according to the Light and Law of Nature for Holy Scripture doth set out unto us onely the Name of Jesus whereby men must be saved But this Anathema is become to our young Fry Brutum Fulmen Now after all this Lirry of our Authors he finds it seems that he and his Antagonists have not discoursed ad idem The Question has been about the Sun in the Firmament and the Answer was concerning the Staffe that stood in the Chimney-corner For says he considering what these men make of Gods Love pardoning Mercy Iustice Patience c. these Properties could never have been discover'd but by a too familiar Acquaintance with Christ's Person for Nature and Revelation say Nothing of them But why then did he not fix the true Notions of these things in the first place and never torment his Reader with a wild rambling impertinent Story
Covenant made a Covenant his Righteousness and Obedience have procured a Covenant are the Meritorious cause of a Covenant when the total Summe of all is no more than this That God has promised to Pardon and Save us if we Believe and Obey the Gospel though we Obey not perfectly So that at last it 's our own Obedience that Recommends us to God our own Righteousness for which we are Iustified Whereas the Apostle is Peremptory That by the Obedience of Christ we are constituted Righteous His Conclusion is therefore this That the Righteousness of Christ is not the formal Cause of our Iustification but the Meritorious cause of that Covenant whereby we are declared Righteous and rewarded as Righteous I perceive the Righteousness of Christs Life and the Obedience of his Death are like to prove something ere long One while they Confirm and Seal another while they Procure and at last they Merit a Covenant I cannot but Examine particulars though I have often done it 1. The Righteousness of Christ is not the Formal cause of our Iustification Indeed I think it is not Never any Man in his Wits affirmed it so Give but us leave to call it the Material cause or the Meritorious cause immediately and properly of Justification and he shall take Formal cause and deal with it at his pleasure I think I have a Commission from all the Systematical Divines of Germany the Voluminous Tigurines and Bulky Low-Dutch with those few that are left in England to make a Bargain with him Hard and Fast That the Righteousness of Christ is not the Formal cause of our Iustification 2. Says he It is the Meritorious cause of that Covenant whereby we are declared Righteous A Meritorious cause sounds very high if it had an honest Meaning But what has it Merited Iustification By no means What then Any particular Mercy or Priviledge or Blessing By no means for then it would be a proper cause of it there 's an Exact and Severe proportion betwixt the Reward and the Work in all Merit What is it then the Meritorious cause of Why of a Covenant But are we made Righteous by the Covenant Not at all only we are declared Righteous But how does the Righteousness of Christs Life and the Obedience of his Death Merit such a Covenant at Gods Hands Nay That he will not tell us God was well pleased with them but why he should be so is a Secret which must be reserved for the coming of Elias 3. The last thing I shall Exmine is his Exceptions against our Interpretation of the Apostle 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shall be made Righteous says he is the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Shall be Iustified Well I agree to him But then I say the former Expression explains the way of our being Iustified that it is by Vertue of a Gospel-Law-Constitution or Appointment of God who considering all Believers as one with their Redeemer does Constitute them Just and Righteous there 's the Formal Cause in the Righteousness of Christ there 's the Material Cause of Justification as all the Posterity of Adam are constituted Sinners and liable to Condemnation by the Constitution of the old Law as Represented by him their Common Head 2. He excepts That the Apostle tells us ver 17. Who they are that are Iustified by Christ and shall Reign with him in Life not those who are Righteous by the Imputation of Christs Righteousness to them But I do not hear the Apostle telling me one such word whatever he has told our Author privately by way of Cabala I hear him saying plainly That as by one Mans offence many were made sinners so by one Mans Obedience many were made Righteous And because I cannot devise how possibly one Man should be made a sinner dealt with as a sinner Condemned and Judged as and for a sinner by another mans sin unless he be some ways or other guilty of sin and because it is not the making of that one mans sin their own by Immitation and Example that the Apostle speaks of but by a constitution of a Covenant or Law Therefore till I can find a better Term to express the Doctrine by I shall call Gods charging Adams sin upon his Posterity to their Condemnation his Imputing it to them And then because I cannot neither devise with my self how one man should possibly be made Righteous by the Obedience of another but that others Obedience must some way or other become his own and because to say Christs Obedience is ours by Imitation of his Example is to cross the Apostles paralel and to cross the Truth for we Imitate it but in part and very Imperfectly therefore I shall take the Freedom also to call Gods constituting Believers righteous by the Obedience of Christ his Imputing that Obedience to them for their Justification provided always that when more convenient and expressive Terms shall be found out to satisfie the Apostle this of Imputation be left indifferent Well but if not these who are then Why those who have received the abundance of Grace and of the Gift of Righteousness these are justified by Christ these shall Reign with him in Life It 's very true the Apostle does tell us no less And I cannot imagine how he should more fitly describe a justified person that others may know him and he should know himself than by the Fruits and Effects of Justification such as abundance of Grace are For whatever our Author thinks of the Apostle he does not use to describe a thing by it self or something equally obscure but by that which is more known and Obvious than the thing described and therefore the Apostle seems not to describe Justification but a justified Person by Sanctification They that have received abundance of Grace and the Gift of Righteousness these are justified Persons not that Justification is from any Inherent work but that the justified Person is only known to himself to be such by an Inherent work and to others by the fruits of it This answer I will deal truly with my Reader came next to hand I had it from our Author and I presumed he would accept a bad one of his own before a better of another mans The Apostle says he tells who those are that are thus justified by Christ Nay then thought I that will kill no body for a justified Person may be described by his Qualifications and yet his Righteousness wherein he stands accepted before God not consist in those Qualifications But to deal plainly with him I do humbly conceive that the Apostle describes an Imputed Righteousness by that expression They which receive the abundance of Grace and the Gift of Righteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 It was the over-flowing and Redundancy of Divine Love to accept a Surety to fulfill all Righteousness and Suffer for us and abundance of Grace too to let us in by Faith into the Righteousness of Christ's Life and the Sacrifice of Christs Death