Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	abraham_n	believe_v	faith_n	1,678	5	6.0737	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A71284	A defence of the true sence and meaning of the words of the Holy Apostle, Rom. chap. 4, ver. 3, 5, 9 in an answer to sundry arguments gathered from the forenamed Scriptures by Mr. Iohn Goodwin, which answer was first dispersed without the authors name, but since acknowledged by Mr George Walker : together with a reply to the former answer, or, animadversions upon some of the looser and fouler passages thereof / by Iohn Goodwin.	Walker, George, 1581?-1651.; Goodwin, John, 1594?-1665.	1641 (1641)	Wing W356; ESTC R20590	41,397	65

of all vertues of Holinesse by which men are sanctified to God and become his peculiar people for Ismael Esau and all the prophane persons of Israel circumcised were partakers of the outward signe and Sacrament of circumcision and yet were destitute of t●e inward Grace signified And in neither respect can uncircumcision or the person uncircumcised nor Gentilism● together with the keeping the righteousnes of the Law be counted truely for circumcision nor reckoned in the place of it But here by circumcision is meant the circumcision of the heare in the Spirit and not in the Letter for so the Apostle doth expound himselfe verse 29. the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} shall be counted signifies here in a full sense judging counting approving accepting and using accordingly Now all laid together the meaning of the Apostle in these wordes is this that if a man uncircumcised doe keepe all the Commandements and performe the righteousnes of the Law his state of Gentilisme comprehending in it the righteousnes of the Law shall be counted and accepted for the state of an holy and righteous man circumcised in heart and hee though uncircumcised in flesh and a Gentile in outward estate shall be counted of God a true Israelite without guile truely circumcised with inward spirituall circumcision of the heart in the spirit whose praise is not of men but of God This sence and meaning of the wordes and of this phrase is so cleere and manifest and so perfectly agreeable to all true reason that none can deny it unlesse hee will set himselfe to rebell against the light and this phrase being the same which this Apostle doth use againe where hee mentions counting and imputing of faith and beleeving for righteousnes to Abraham and to every true beleever doth give light for the discovering of the true sense and meaning of the wordes the phrase being the very same Wherefore if we will follow the Apostle himselfe and tread after him in the same steps being the surest guide and best expounder of his owne wordes and meaning we must by Abrahams beleeving by a Metalepsis or double trope with our learned Divines understand Abraham standing in the state of a true beleever united by one spirit unto God in Christ and having communion of his satisfaction and righteousnes which were of force from the beginning to save and iustifie and to make God the reward of the beleever And by faith imputed or counted for righteousnes wee must not understand faith in a proper sense but by a double trope for the state and condition of a true faithfull man and for that which faith comprehends and includes in it even the perfect righteousnes and full satisfaction of Christ God and man By righteousnes we must understand the state of a man justified or Evangelicall righteousnes communicated to the justified man and made his for iustification And by counting and imputing we must understand the accepting approving esteeming iudging of Abraham and every true beleever so soone as he appeares faithfull to be in the state of a man iustified and Gods setting on his skore and counting imputing to him being faithfull the righteousnes of Christ apprehended by faith which is indeed and in truth made his by spirituall union and communion with Christ Heare then the true paraphrase upon the Apostles words shewing the true sense and meaning of them Abraham upon a true inward spirituall sense of his union and communion with Christ did beleeve and was surely perswaded that God was his reward and this his beleefe and faith comprehending Christ for righteousnes and containing in it after a sort the righteousnes of Christ God counted it to him for righteousnes that is set it on his skore and reckoned it to him for iustification and judged esteemed and accepted him for a man truly righteous as indeed he was and so whosoever doth not rest on his owne workes for iustification nor seeketh thereby to be iustified but by faith seeketh that righteousnes which makes him righteous by the communion of it when in himselfe by nature he is ungodly his faith comprehending in it Christ and his righteousnes is counted for righteousnes because it settles him in the state of a righteous man and Gods setting on his skore Christs satisfaction and righteousnes doth accept him for a man iustified A second argument confirming the exposition is drawn from the Apostles owne wordes in the fourth verse now to him that worketh the reward is not reckoned of grace but of d●bt whereby it is manifest that the thing counted for righteousnes brings with it a reward also to the beleever which is counted not of debt bu●…grace now there is nothing which can bring the reward of eternal life and Glory to a beleever when it is counted to him and set on his skore but the perfect righteousnes and satisfaction of Jesus Christ that all grant to bee meritoribus of eternall life to all that are partakers of it and because the communion and imputation of it is of Gods free grace and the faith by which we receive apply and enjoy it is Gods free gift therefore the reward to wit eternall life is of free Grace and not of debt as the Apostle here saith Whereupon the the Conclusion followes that the thing counted for righteousnes is the righteousnes of Christ apprehended by faith Thirdly in the 6. and 7. verses the Apostle teacheth expressely that the thing imputed by God is righteousnes and such a righteousnes as being imputed brings forgivenesse of iniquity and covers sinnes and so makes the beleever blessed Now there is no righteousnes to be found among all mankinde besides Christs perfect righteousnes and full satisfaction and that is a perfect propitiation for all sinnes and an expiation of all iniquity to them who by faith have put on Christ therefore it is the true righteousnes which is imputed to every beleever for justification Fourthly that which is here said to be imputed to Abraham and to every beleever is for righteousnesse to iustification for the discourse of the Apostle here and in the 3. and 5. chap. is altogether of iustifying as appeares chap. 3. verse 20. 24. 26. 28. 30 and also chap. 5. 1. 16. 18 19. in all which places he mentions iustification and iustifying And here in this 4. chap. he brings Abrahams example and Davids testimony to shew how we are iustified now there is nothing which doth serve to us for righteousnes to iustification but that which is found in Christ our Mediatour even his righteousnes and perfect fulfilling of the Law so this Apostle doth plainely affirme and teach chap. 5. 19. and chap. 8. 3. 4. and Chap. 10. 3. 4. Therefore this righteousnes is upon the true beleeving of Abraham and the faithfull counted and imputed to them and set on their skore for their iustification Fiftly that exposition of a phrase or speech of Scripture which is warranted by other places of Scripture wherefore that phrase

cites out of Tertullian Origen Iustin Martyr Chrysostom Augustine Primasius Beda Haymo and Anselme and out of later Writers to wit Luther Bucer Peter Martyr Calvin Musculus Bullinger Gual●er Aretius Illyricus Pelicanus Humius Beza Iunius Pareus they are no more but what Saint Paul saith and we all acknowledg and imbrace for truth namely that Abraham beleeving God was counted a righteous man and faith was counted to him for righteousnesse and so are we all iustified not by our owne righteousnesse and workes of the Law performed in our owne persons but by faith counted for righteousnesse for faith insted of our owne workes layes hold on the righteousnes of Christ and apprehending and comprehending it is counted for righteousnes not in a proper sense but as it comprehends Christ and his righteousnes which Calvin calles apprehending the goodnes of God and trusting in it And therefore it is truely affirmed by Iustine Martyr that Abraham obtained the testimony of righteousnes viz. that he was a righteous man not because of his circumcision but because of his faith which wordes imply That faith is not the righteousnes of the beleever but the evidence of his communion with Christ in his righteousnes and satisfaction The Testimony which he cites out of Musculus is expressely contrary to his interpretation for the wordes are Commendata esse debebat hac fides nō propriae qualitatis sed propositi Dei respectu that is This faith ought to be commended not in respect of the proper quality of it that is Not in a proper sense but in respect of the purpose of God wherby he hath appointed that to beleeve in Christ he wil impute it for righteousnes propter ipsum that is because of Christ himselfe in whom they beleeve By which wordes it is plaine that faith is not imputed in a proper sense to the beleever but in respect of Christ in whom he beleeveth and whose righteousnes he applies by faith The wordes which he cites out of Aretius are also strong for us against himselfe viz. That God imputed righteousnes to Abraham that is so accepted his faith that hereupon he counted him for a righteous man by imputative righteousnes which righteousnes cannot be any thing inherent as faith and our owne workes are but the righteousnes of Christ besides which there is no righteousnes to be found in all the world perfect and fit to iustify man before God Illyricus his wordes are as plaine against him as our hearts can wish viz. That begging faith apprehending the righteousnes of Christ is imputed to him in sted of his owne righteousnes where note that the reason why God doth impute faith for righteousnes is because it apprehends Christs righteousnes not because it of it selfe in a proper sense is fit to be counted righteousnes being but a poore begging hand and being inherent in the beleever which imputative righteousnes can in no wise be Thus in all his testimonies we have not one word to prove that faith taken in a proper sense is onely imputed for righteousnes and not the righteousnes of Christ But many Testimonies by him cited prove directly the contrary interpretation But because I will not have such a forger and false suborner of witnesses goe away without the brandes of forgery and notorious impudency I will bring in the best learned of the Ancients and also of late Orthodox Divines even those whom he cals to witnesse for him and make them speake in the●r owne wordes and testify to all the world That by faith imputed for righteousnes they understand not faith it selfe in a proper sense but the satisfaction and righteousnes of the Lord Iesus Christ God and man performed arcording to the Law in our nature and in our behalfe First Iustin Martyr testifieth that we being in our selves wicked and ungodly cannot possibly become righteous or be iustified but onely in the Sonne of God {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Now if onely in the Sonne of God and by union and communion with him which all have who are in him then onely by his righteousnesse For as the same Author in the same place saith It is his righteousnesse and nothing else which can cover our sin Justin Martyr Epist ad Diognetum And in his exposition of faith he saith That Christ as well by his exact conversation of life that is his perfect righteousnes as by his undeserved death hath abolished and covered our fall and fayling which came in by Adam Irenaeus is so strict for our communion with Christ in his obedience unto death and for our reconciliation and justification thereby that he imputes Christs obedience to us and saith In secundo Adamo reconciliati sumus obedientes usque ad mortem facti Lib. 4. adversus Haereses cap. 14. Athanasius in his 2 Tome Pag. 270. of Comelius edition saith That it is most necessary for us to beleeve Scriptures that Christ who hath freed us from the curse is the first fruites of the masse of mankind who are by him redeemed and that the perfect fulfilling of the Law by him the first fruites is imputed to the whole masse his wordes are in Greeke {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} And in his Booke of the Incarnation of the word of God he affirmeth that we shall live and be saved because we are partakers of the righteousnes without spot which Christ God in the flesh brought into the World Gregorie Nyssen Oration 2. in Cantic. Canticorum saith Christ having the filth or guilt of my sinnes transferred upon himselfe hath communicated his perfect purity to me and made me partaker of that beautie which is in himselfe Ambrose saith as Adam is the paterne of death because of sinne So is Christ the paterne of life because of his ousnesse Commentar. in cap. 7 Lucae Lib. 5. Chrysostom saith If a Iew aske thee how can all the world be saved by the righteous doings of one Christ Thou maist answere even so as all the world is condemned by one Adams disobedience cap. 5. ad Rom. Homil. 10. That is by the communion and imputation of them Cyrill saith Lib. 11. in Ioan. cap. 25. Christ being the author of the Law and yet subiecting himselfe to the Law by his obedience and righteousnes brings the blessing and life unto us And Lib. de recta fide he saith It is absurd to thinke that we should be made heires of the punishment of the first Adam by his disobedience and should not be made partakers of the righteousnesse of the second who doth bring us backe to life by his most perfect obedience Theodoret. Sermo 10. de curat Graec. affectionum saith It is very convenient that he who so highly praised righteousnes should in his comming in the flesh fulfill righteousnes for men Augustin Enchirid ad Laurentium cap. 41. saith he was made sinne that we might be made righteousnes not our owne but Gods righteousnes not in our selves but in him even as he was sinne not

they deny that the faithfull are constituted and made formally righteous by the obedience of Christ communicated and imputed to them which the Apostle in expresse wordes doth affirme Rom. 5. 19. and 8. 4. and 10. 4. they fall into the heresie of the Pelagians and are forced to deny that Adams sinne and disobedience is communicated and imputed to his posterity and they are formally sinners by it And rather then they will yeeld that Infants which die before they commit actuall transgression in their owne persons are by death punished because they are guilty of Adams sinne they do blasphemously affirme that God being offended and moved to wrath by the sinnes of Parents will out of the magnificence of his Iustice destroy Innocent Babes with their sinfull Parents which is contrary to Gods word and Law teaching us ●hat Children shall not die for the sins of their Parents unlesse they be partakers with them either by communion and imputation or by imitation and approbation whereas they bring for instance that the Children of Korah were destroyed with their Father though they were Innocent and not partakers in the sinne here in they contradict the Scriptures which expressely affirme that the Children of Korah dyed not Num. 26. 11. for they upon Moses his threatning escaped and fled from their Fathers Tents in all likely-hood and onely they perished who would not be admonished by Moses to separate from the Congregation of Korah but adher'd to him wer partakers of his conspiracy sin Sixt●y when they for a colour of their heresie confesse in word that Christs righteousnes is the meritorio us cause of justification and yet deny communion and imputation of it to beleevers they fall into this horrible opinion That Christ by his righteousnes doth iustifie Infidels and impenitent Reprobates as much as he iustifies the elect and faithfull For if it be not communicated and imputed to beleevers in their iustification then have they no more interest in the merit thereof then Infidels and damned Reprobates it is onely meritorious and of worth value and sufficiency to iustifie them s it is to all mankind even to Infidels and what benefit a and merit of it they have it is by their owne free will making use of it which Infidels might do if they would for they have the merit of it as much as beleevers can have without communion and imputation of it Lastly while they argue that as in the first covenant God required workes of the Law performed by every man in his owne person and this was the condition which man was to performe for obtaining of life and that covenant of life was not free but conditionall so in the new covenant God requires in us faith and beleeving as the condition which we on our part must performe for Iustification and so for the obtaining of eternall life and salvation Hereby they affirme the new covenant to be a covenant conditionall and not of free grace for whatsoever is covenanted and promised upon a condition to be performed is not absolutely free nor freely given and so the faithfull are not iustified freely b●grace whereas they plead that iustification a●d life is promised upon condition of beleeving If you beleeve you shall be saved This is ●grosse and absurd mistake for every conditionall proposition doth not propound the condition of a covenant for that whensoever it is performed makes the thing covenanted a due debt which the promiser is bound to give But oftentimes a conditionall proposition propounds the meanes by which a free gift is received or the qualification by which one is made capable and fit to receive and enjoy a free gift As for example it is often said in Scripture If y●● will heare and hearken ye shall be saved and not destroyed your Soule shall live and yee shall ea●e the good of the Land Isay 1. 19. Ier. 26. 3. and 36. and many other places If we love one another God dwelleth in us Ioh. 4. 12. If we walke in the light we have fellowship one with another 1 Ioh. 1 7. If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgive 1 Joh. 1. 9. If a man be iust and do that which is right he shall surely live Ezek. 18. 5. 21. in all which and the like places there is no condition of the covenant propounded but onely the meanes and the way to receive blessing or the quality and condition by which men are made c●pable and fit to enjoy blessing and sometimes the effects and fruites of them that are in a blessed estate and even so when the Scripture saith If yee beleeve yee shall be iustified there is noe condition of the covenant propounded to be performed on our part for iustification and salvation but onely the qualification by which God doth qualify us and fit us by his free grace to be iustified and saved and the meanes by which he enables us to receive righteousnes and to lay hold on sa●vation which is freely given to us in Christ Vpon these particulars severally observed out of their owne wordes and writings I strongly conclude that this opinion being builded upon such blasphemous and hereticall groundes and maintained and upheld by such blasphemous arguments must needes be most impious hereticall and blasphemous Having already proved the S●cinian and Arminian opinion to be most false impious and hereticall and blasphemous I proceed to discover the weakenesse and absurdity of Mr. Goodwins Arguments contained in the 2 Chapter of his Socinian discourse which he hath attempted to publish in Print as I heare which arguments Ī am challenged to answere and for that purpose he hath with his owne hand delivered them to me Against which I cheerefullie set my selfe and stand for the truth The maine ground upon which he pretends to build his Arguments by which he labours to prove imputation of faith in a proper sense for righteousnesse and that faith and not the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith is counted for righteousnes is the 4th. Chap of the Epistle to the Rom●ns Before his disputation he professeth that none by any wit of learning under Heaven is so fit to determinate what is imputed for righteousnes in iustification as the holy Ghost speaking in the Scriptures and yet he saith he leaves his meaning and intent in many things unto men to debate which they onely can declare to whom he reveales the secret of his counsell and amongst these being the true begotten of the truth he seemes to intimate that he will prove himselfe to be one by some Stamp or superscription of a rationall authority set upon him though in common esteeme he be but like other men and the neerer he is to the truth the farther off he is from the approbation of many men greatest pretende●s to the truth Though the rude multitude of his Disciples give just offence by proclayming him to be the great light of Gods Church revealed in these last times yet in him it

is more scandalous and offensive that he professing the holy Ghost to be the best iudge for determining controversies doth immediately contradict himselfe by saying that he leaves his meaning and intent to be debated by men and makes such men as himselfe stamped with a rationall Authority the judges of his meaning What is this but the heresie of the Arminians who hold that their right reason as they call it and not the word of the spirit speaking plainely in the Scriptures is the best Iudge of the spirits meaning and intent in obscure places and how scandalous and offensive it is for him to profes such excellent things of himselfe before hand and in the whole progresse of his disputation to run so far from the Spirits meaning and from all right reason as I shall prove by my si●●ing and answering of his Arguments I leave to the Godly wise and learned to Judge His first Argument FIrst he undertakes to prove That faith in a proper sen●e is affirmed by the Apostle to be imputed for righteousnes and not the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by faith Because the phrase of imputing faith for righteousnes is once yea twice yea a third and fourth time used by the Apostle in this Chapter and therefore hath all the Authority and countenance from the Scriptures that wordes can give whereas the imputation of Christs righteousnesse hath not the least reliefe either from any sound of wordes or sight of letter in the Scriptures Answere IN this Argument he shewes himselfe as bould in affirming manifest untruthes as ignorant both of Rhetorick and Logick In Rhetorick it is counted an excellent ornament of speech to continue a trope and it is called an Allegory he is ignorant who knoweth not this In Logick he is counted a boldlying Sophister who holds that a Syllogisme a true and perfect Argument hath a proposition which is manifestly false And what more grosse ignorance in Logick then to hold two propositions to be negative and affirmative in respect of one another which consist of divers subjects and that an affirmative and the negative may both be true All these absurdities appeare in this Argument First in that he affirmes the Apostles speech to be proper and the sense to be properly literall because he useth the same phrase foure times hereby he shewes his Ignorance of the continuance of a trope which Rhetoricians esteeme an elegant Allegory and which is most frequent in the Scripture For Jer. 26. the Lord is said to repent 3 severall times viz. ver. 3. 13. 19. and yet the speech is not proper but improper for God cannot properly be said to repent as appeares Num. 23. 19. 1 Sam. 15. 29. Here then he sheweth as much Ignorance of Rhetoricke and of the frequent use of rhetorical Allegories in the Scripture as he seemes to shew of Logick when he makes his affirmative viz. Faith is imputed for righteousnes and affirmes it to be true and withall saith that the negative int●parably accompanying it is a truth also when Logick teacheth that if the affirmative be true the negative must needs be false If by the negative he meanes this viz. Christs righteousnesse is not imputed He erres two waies from Logick first by calling the negative inseparably accompanying his affirmative Secondly by speaking ambiguously a speech which may beare divers senses which Logick abhorres in a disputation Secondly he shewes himselfe a bould lving Sophister when he affirmes most falsely and impudently 〈◊〉 That no truth in Religion nor article of our faith can boast of the Letter that is of the proper literall sense of the Scripture more full expresse and pregnant then that speech or proposition which is foure times used in one Chapter For the contrary is most manifestly true as divers places shew where one and the same thing is often affirmed and yet the speech is not proper but tropicall I will instance in one place which is most convincing viz. Gal. 3. where the word Faith is ten times used in an improper sense for the word of faith the Gospel as it is opposed to the Law carnallie understood viz. verse 3 5 7 8 9 12 14 22 23 25. Now the maine proposition-of his Syllogisme being so manifestly false his conclusion inferred from thence is certainely most false viz. that this speech of Saint Paul Faith is counted for righteousnes is properly literall and not improper and tropicall The second Argument co●ched under the other runs thus if it be reduced into a●Syllogisme That which hath not the least releife either from any sound of wordes or sight of letter in the Scripture is an untruth and a meere fiction the imputation of Christs righteousnes hath not the least releife either from sound of wordes or sight of letter in Scripture Therefore it is a meere fiction The Assumption or Minor of this Syllogisme is most false and therefore the conclusion hath no truth in it I prove it most false by the Apostles owne wordes for in the fourth v. he saith that to the blessed man God imputeth righteousnes without workes and verse 11. where he saith that as to Abraham faith was imputed before hee was circumcised so God shewed that righteousnes should be imputed to the beleeving Gentiles though uncircumcised In which two places he shewes that by beleeving and faith imputed to Abraham and all true beleevers the Spirit of God meanes righteousnes couched under the name of faith and beleeving Now this righteousnes cannot be faith it selfe in a proper sense for every act of faith is a worke but this is a righteousnes imputed to us without workes done by us in our owne persons besides faith and all the beleeving of the most faithfull cannot make up one duty or worke of true and perfect righteousnes such as God can impute to justification for faith in the best beleevers even in Abraham himselfe was stayned with many doubtings fears But here must needes b●e meant that righteousnes in which the most just God can see no imperfection and therefore counts it for righteousnes to justifie all that are partakers of it And this can bee no other but the righteousnes which Christ God and man performed in mans nature therefore the contrary of the Assumption is most true The third which hee calls his second mayne Argument or proofe is drawne from the scope of the place and the intent of the Apostle in his discourse of justification here in these Chapters of this Epistle it runs thus being reduced into a Syllogisme The scope of the place and intent of the Apostle is to hedge up as it were with thornes the false way of justification which lay through workes and to put men by from attempting any going that way and also to discover the true way of justification to them that is to make knowne unto them what they must doe and what God requires of them for justification and what hee will accept at their hands instead of the workes

uncouth an expression and figure of speech as is not to be found in all his writings is a thing most unlikely and not to be beleeved But this interpretation viz. Fathers upon him such an harsh expression and figure of speech without ever explaining of himselfe as is not to be found in all his writings saying that faith or beleeving is imputed for righteousnes time after time without over changing his speech and meaning that indeed Christs righteousnes is imputed which was to speake rather that he might conceale his mind then reveale it Therefore this interpretation layeth on the Apostle a thing incredible and is false and not to be beleeved To the Assumption I answer that it is an heape of manifest and impudent lies First it is no harsh strange and uncouth expression to use a figure of speech and by saith and beleeving to meane the state or a man in the state of a true faithfull beleever and by righteousnes the state or a man in the state of righteousnes or of a righteous man and to say that faith and beleeving is counted for righteousnes meaning that the state of a beleever having by faith spirituall communion with Christ is a state of righteousnes and the man which is in that estate is reputed of God in the state of righteousnes for this same expression and figure of speech the Apostle useth severall times in the foure last verses of the 2. Chapter of this Epistle where by circumcision he understands sanctification of the heart in the Spirit verse 29. and also 26. and also a circumcised Jew v. 27. and by uncircumcision he meanes an uncircumcised Gentile and also the state of Gentilisme as Beza observes and common sense teacheth and here is discovered a second impudent lye in that he saith this figure of speech is not to bee found in all the Apostles writings A third bold lye and manifest falshood is that the Apostle time after time useth the phrase of faith or beleeving imputed without ever explaining himselfe or changing his speech for that which hee calls faith and beleeving and saith it is imputed in the third and 5. ver. he explaining himselfe and changing his speech both in the 6. and 11. verses calls it righteousnes and saith God imputeth righteousnes and righteousnes is imputed Thus you see how hee hath bent his tongue and pen like a bow for lyes and shootes them forth thick and threefold like poysoned arrowes as if his quiver were the armory of the Father of lyers the Prince of darknesse The second Argument is briefly this that which is imputed for righteousnes is called his faith first before it is imputed verse 5. to him that beleeveth his faith is counted for righteousnes But the righteousnes of Christ cannot truely and properly be called his who is a true beleever before it is imputed Therefore the righteousnes of Christ is not here to be understood under the name of faith The righteousnes of Christ by spirituall union and common with Christ is as truely the true beleevers as his faith is his for Christ is made unto him righteousnes 1 Cor. 1. 30. and he is made the righteousnes of God in Christ 2 Cor. 5. 21. and that in order of nature before it is counted his righteousnes For God whose judgement is according to truth doth not count that to the beleever which he hath not before or at the same time doth communicate to him Secondly I answer that if faith which is here called his faith be faith in a proper sense and bee imputed for righteousnes then is man justified by his owne inherent righteousnes and by a worke done and performed in his owne person which is worse then Popery The object of that faith which is here said to be imputed is God himselfe or the promise of God and not the righteousnes of Christ for to understand that the righteousnes of Christ is meant by God is to set up a trope which is not a figure of speech but a monster of speech Therefore Christs righteousnes is not here said to be imputed The object of Abrahams faith was the promise of Christ and that in Christ God was his sheild and his great reward Gen. 15. 1. Now no man can in beleeving by true faith separate Christs satisfaction and righteousnes from Christ himselfe if he enjoy Christ by faith he enjoyes Christs benefits also and to beleeve God to be our reward is to beleeve that God is become our righteousnes and so our reward for the blessed reward is the reward of righteousnes and therefore this argument rightly framed out of the 3. v. from Abrahams beleeving God is strong against him Here againe I note his ignorance in Rhetoricall tropes in that hee saith a double trope in one word is a monster of speech whereas Rhetorick calls it a Metalepsis and counts it an ornament of speech I here also observe his vaine tergiversation for hee saith that the Holy Ghost in the rehearsall of the things which belong to the object of faith and which are beleeved doth never make the least mention of Christs righteousnes and immediately reckons many things which we are in Scripture required to beleeve amongst which is Christ himselfe and the doctrine of Christ and the promise of Christ the testimony which God hath given of his Sonne and the resurrection of Christ every one of which includes Christs righteousnes for if we beleeve in Christ aright we cannot but beleeve in him as a fulfiller of all righteousnes the Doctrine concerning Christ is that he is made unto us of God righteousnes that hee is the end of the Law for righteousnes to every beleever The promise of Christ of old was that Christ is the Lord our righteousnes Ier. 23. 6. and that he would cloath us with the Robe of righteousnes Isay 61. 10. the Testimony which God hath given of him is that in him wee have eternall life 1 Iohn 5. 11. which is the reward of his righteousnesse and therefore righteousnesse in him His resurrection is the evidence of his righteousnesse and perfect satisfaction as the Scriptures testifie And thus hee saith one thing and after brings many Scriptures to confute himselfe and at last grants what before hee denyed that Christs righteousnesse is to bee beleeved Hee saith that some beleeve Christs righteousnesse who beleeve not Christ himselfe which is indeed a Monster of Speech Sense and Reason In a word when the Spirit of God teacheth to beleeve the righteousnesse of God for Iustification Romans 10. 3. and in many other places which can be no other but Christs perfect righteousnes and satisfaction as appeares Rom. 3. 24. and againe calls this righteousnes the righteousnes of faith he plainely shewes that it is beleeved applyed enioyed and possessed by faith Christs righteousnes can in no tollerable sense be called that faith whereby Abraham beleeved in God that quickneth the dead Therefore under the name of that faith