fin, but the reality of God's pardon; for otherwise there would be nothing to forgive, nor yet a real pardon, but only imputative, which, according to the fense of this doctrine, I call imaginary. Again, "God "was in Chrift reconciling the world unto himself, "not imputing their trefpaffes unto them."" Where alfo non-imputation, being a real discharge for actual trefpaffes, argues an imputation, by the reason of contraries, to be a real charging of actual guilt. Laftly, it is used in relation to righteousness, "Was "not Abraham juftified by works, when he offered "Ifaac? and by works was faith made perfect, and "the fcripture was fulfilled, which faith, Abraham "believed God, and it was imputed unto him for " righteousness."" By which we must not conceive, as do the dark imputarians of this age, that Abraham's offering perfonally was not a juftifying rightcoufness, but that God was pleased to account it so; fince God never accounts a thing that which it is not; nor was there any imputation of another's righteoufnefs to Abraham, but on the contrary, his perfonal obedience was the ground of that juft imputation; and therefore, that any fhould be juftified from the imputation of another's righteousness, not inherent, or actually poffeffed by them, is both ridiculous and dangerous Ridiculous, fince it is to fay a man is rich to the value of a thousand pounds, whilft he is not really or perfonally worth a groat, from the imputation of another, who has it all in his poffeffion. Dangerous, because it begets a confident perfuafion in many people of their being juftified, whilft in captivity to thofe lufts, whofe reward is condemnation; whence came that ufual faying amongst many profeffors of religion, that God looks not on them as they are in themselves, but as they are in Chrift;' not confidering that none can be in Chrift, who are not new creatures, which thofe cannot be reputed, who have condemnation and juftification, being vaftly oppofite no man can be actually dead and imputatively alive therefore this doctrine, fo much contended for, carr this grofs abfurdity with it, that a man may be ac ally finful, yet imputatively righteous; actually jud and condemned, yet imputatively juftified and g fied. In fhort, he may be actually damned, an imputatively faved; otherwise it must be ack ledged, that obedience to juftification ought to perfonally extenfive, as was difobedience to cc nation in which real, not imputative fenfe, th rious terms of fanctification, righteousness, r tion, life, redemption, juftification, &c. are fallibly to be understood. 5. Nor are those words, impute, imputed eth, imputing, used in fcripture by way of to that which is actual and inherent, as th of an imputative righteousness do by the plainly intimate; but fo much the contra they are never mentioned, but to express and perfonally to be that which is imput whether as guilty, as remitted, or as ri inftance: " What man foever of the ho "that killeth an ox, and bringeth it no "of the tabernacle, to offer unto the "fhall be imputed unto that man, him as guilty thereof. "And Shimei king, let not my lord impute iniqui "thy fervant doth know that I have f N it is u unto wh 6. "But fin is not imputed where t From whence it is apparent that th imputation, or charging of guilt up as really were guilty. fion: "Bleffed is the "puteth not iniquity have it," whofe tr the non-imputati Lev. xvii. 4. or, as th -ffion is not ΟΙ ke gead iame ? other world's by invaliwhich was away the ofe than what our times have and by his im hem holy in him, Core fince it was to devil's works, which oly One faw no cor ruption, fin, but the mere wo TOOD. DE Le of refore ich in ks un onceits) tation. - > thofe three onfutation I d; and now r me record, w the defence l the rude and d pulpit, from induceth me to ounter-plots, to to betray evangebut God will reall attend the eneme not, we never and Spirit, which are 1. Their trinity has the fcriptures. 2. Its rs after Christianity was oft much blood; in the 35, it was decreed, that y fhould not be rememres of God made no menen fhould it be mentioned on all that will not bow to And it doubtless hath occa> the popifh images of Father, it. 5. It fcandalizeth Turks, and palpably obftructs their reiftian doctrine.--Nor is there the behalf of the other two; for I ge any person to give me one fcrip An, 355. Conc. Sirm, cap. xxv. pag. 275. 0 2 ture not difrobed themfelves of their old garments, but are ftill inmantled with the corruptions of the old man. Confequences irreligious and irrational. 1. It makes God guilty of what the fcriptures say is an abomination, to wit, that he juftifieth the wicked. 2. It makes him look upon perfons as they are not, or with refpect, which is unworthy of his moft equal nature. 3. He is hereby at peace with the wicked, (if justified whilft finners) who faid "there is no peace to "the wicked." 4. It does not only imply communion with them here, in an imperfect ftate, but fo to all eternity, "for "whom he juftified, them he also glorified." Therefore whom he justified, whilft finners, them he also glorified, whilft finners. 5. It only fecures from the wages, not the dominion of fin, whereby fomething that is finful comes to be juftified, and that which defileth, to enter God's king dom. 6. It renders a man juftified and condemned, dead and alive, redeemed and not redeemed, at the same time, the one by an imputative righteousness, the other a perfonal unrighteousness. 7. It flatters men, whilst fubject to the world's luft, with a state of justification, and thereby invalidates the very end of Chrift's appearance, which was to deftroy the works of the devil, and take away the fins of the world; a quite contrary purpose than what the fatisfactionists, and imputarians of our times have imagined, viz. to fatisfy for their fins, and by his imputed righteousness, to reprefent them holy in him, whilst unholy in themfelves; therefore fince it was to take away fin, and deftroy the devil's works, which were not in himself, for that Holy One faw no cor P Rom. viii. 30. ruption, ruption, confequently in mankind; what can therefore be concluded more evidently true, than that fuch in whom fin is not taken away, and the devil's works undestroyed, are strangers (notwithstanding their conceits) to the very end and purpofe of Chrift's manifestation. Conclufion, by way of caution. THUS, reader, have I led thee through thofe three fo generally applauded doctrines, whofe confutation I hope, though thou haft run, thou haft read; and now I call the righteous God of heaven to bear me record, that I have herein fought nothing below the defence of his unity, mercy, and purity, against the rude and impetuous affaults of tradition, prefs and pulpit, from whence I daily hear, what rationally induceth me to believe a confpiracy is held by counter-plots, to obftruct the exaltation of truth, and to betray evangelical doctrines, to idle traditions: but God will rebuke the winds, and destruction fhall attend the enemies of his anointed.--Miftake me not, we never have difowned a Father, Word, and Spirit, which are One, but mens inventions: for, 1. Their trinity has not fo much as a foundation in the fcriptures. 2. Its original was three hundred years after Christianity was in the world. 3. It having coft much blood; in the council of Sirmium, anno 335, it was decreed, that thenceforth the controverfy fhould not be remembered, because the fcriptures of God made no mention thereof.' Why then fhould it be mentioned now, with a maranatha on all that will not bow to this abftrufe opinion. 4. And it doubtlefs hath occafioned idolatry, witness the popifh images of Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft. 5. It fcandalizeth Turks, Jews, and Infidels, and palpably obftructs their reception of the Chriftian doctrine.--Nor is there more to be faid on the behalf of the other two; for I can boldly challenge any perfon to give me one fcrip Socrat. Schol. An, 355. Conc. Sirm, cap. xxv. pag. 275. 0 2 ture |