count of our own perfonal inherent Righteoufnefs, or any other Way, but on the Account of the imputed Righteoufnefs of Chrift only; then Faith, as it is our own perfonal inherent Righteousness, cannot juftify us confiftently with the rectoral Holiness of God.

I may add, it cannot be agreeable to the Truth of God that we fhould be justified by any Righteoufnefs which will not fully answer the Demands of the moral Law. God has pronounced every one curfed, who continues not in all Things written in the Book of the Law, to do them. If therefore we have not a full Conformity to all Things written in the Book of the Law, if we have not a perfect Obedience to its Precepts, nor a full Satisfaction for the Violation of them to plead in our Favour, then either we must lie under the Gurfe, or God must break his Word. The latter you dare not fuppofe; and the former is, in its Nature, abfolutely inconfiftent with our Juflification.

I know of but one Anfwer, that can with any Colour of Reafon be made to these Arguments; and that is, that Chrift's fulfilling the Law for us is our legal Righteoufnefs; as freeing us from the rigorous Demands, and from the Curfes of the moral Law: But that our Faith, including fincere Obedience in its Nature, is our evangelical Righteoufnefs, whereby we ourfelves perfonally fulfil the Gospel, and are hereby juftified before God. According to this Diftinction, Chrift's Righteouf, nefs is the Matter or Ground of our Juftification, taken negatively, as it lies in abfolving us from the Curfe of the Law, and declaring our Sins forgiven; but our own Righteoufnefs is the Matter or Ground of our Juftification, confidered pofitively, as it lies in pronouncing us righteous, and fo entitled to the Blessing-Now the leaft that can be

faid against this Notion, is, that it eclipfes the Honour of Christ, as the Lord our Righteousness, and leaves Man whereof to glory.But the Confideration of this will of Courfe bring me to the laft Thing I propofed in Answer to your Objection. If your own Construction of those Paffages in the fourth Chapter to the Romans were granted, and Faith, as including evangelical Obedience in it, is imputed to us for Righteousness, yet this would make nothing against our Juftification by the imputed Righteoufnefs of Chrift. For allowing that Faith be our perfonal evangelical Righteousness, and that as fuch it will justify us, or render us acceptable to God as far as it goes, we must yet have Chrift's Righteoufnefs imputed to us, or elfe lie under the Curfe of the moral Law, as I have already proved.

If Faith, including fincere Obedience in it, be imputed to us for Righteousness, this our perfonal Righteousness must be imputed to us; not for what it is not, but for what in Truth it is; that is, an imperfect Righteoufnefs. God cannot judge that to be perfect, which is really imperfect; for his Judgment ever is according to Truth: And a weak, imperfect Faith (as that of the belt is) cannot conftitute a perfect Righteoufnefs.Whence it follows, that we cannot on Account of this our perfonal Righteoufnefs be effectually and thoroughly justified; we cannot be perfectly acquitted from Guilt and Condemnation; we cannot be intitled to complete Happiness and eternal Life, by Virtue of our own Righteoufnefs; and therefore it is of the last Neceffity that we have some other and better Righteousness, even a perfect one, to plead; or elfe we must perifh eternally.At leaft, we cannot at prefent be juflified on the foot of our own Righteousness, fo long as we are in this imperfect State, but must wait for Justification of Life,

as

as a distant future Benefit, not to be received til we are made perfect in Holiness. Whereas, by the whole Current of Scripture it appears, that Juftification is a prefent Benefit, taking Place in the Life which now is. Believers have not a mere Promise, that they shall be juftified; but fuch are, in the most exprefs Terms, represented in Scripture as already juftified, as actually pardoned and made accepted in the Beloved, as passed from Death to Life, and re‹ inftated in God's fpecial Favour; fo that there is now no Condemnation to them, but they are now the Heirs of Salvation.

Thus, Sir, I have given you fome of the Rea fons I have against your Author's Interpretation of those Paffages in the fourth Chapter to the Remans. Many other Arguments might be added further to illuftrate the Truth; and to refute all Pretences of this Kind. But I am afraid I have been already too tedious; and I hope, what is already faid may prove fufficient for your Satisfaction. You defire me to give a brief View of my Sen"timents of thofe Paffages; and to fhew you, in "what Senfe I understand Faith to be imputed to " us for Righteousness. You tell me, that you can"not understand how Faith's being imputed to us "for Righteoufnefs can intend that Chrift's Righ "teoufnefs is imputed to us."

The common Interpretation of these Paffages by our Proteftant Divines, from the Beginning of the Reformation, is, that Faith is imputed for Righteoufnefs, not subjectively, or as it is an Act of our own, and our own perfonal Righteousness; but objectively, or as it hath Refpect to its Object, and apprehends the Righteoufnefs of Chrift; that is, as Faith is the Band of Union between Chrift and the Soul, and interefts us in him, and his juftify ing Righteoufness, it is imputed to us for Righte ousness.

oufnels: Thus, it is the Righteousness of Faith, as Faith is the Term or Mean of our Intereft in Chrift's Righteoufnefs: And yet it is the Righteoufnefs of Chrift, as he was the immediate Subject and Author of it, or as it was wrought out by him.—Our Faith is in a like Manner faid to be the Faith of Jefus Chrift, (Rom. iii. 22.) as Chrift's Righteousness is here faid to be the Righteoufnefs of Faith. Our Faith is not called the Faith of Chrift, as it is his perfonal Act (Chrift does not believe for us) but as it receives the Lord Jefus Christ, and gives us an Interest in him. Nor is our Faith our Righteousness, as it is our personal Act, (our Faith has not fulfilled the Law, nor anfwered the Demands of vindictive Justice) but it is our Righteoufnefs, as it interests us in what Chrift hath done and suffered for us, whereby the Law is fulfilled, and Justice fatisfied. In the former Cafe the Object is put for the Act; the Faith of Chrift, for believing in Chrift.-And there can no Reason be given, why with the fame Propriety, in the latter Cafe, the Act may not be put for the Object; the Righteousness of Faith, for Righteoufnefs by or through Faith; and why Faith may not be counted for the Righteousness obtained by believing.It is remarkable, that the Apoftle exprefsly fpeaks of Faith in this View, every where elfe befides this Context; and therefore he ought to be here alfo understood in this Senfe, to make his Doctrine confiftent.-In this Senfe, Faith is our justifying Righteoufnefs, as a condemned Malefactor's accepting his Prince's Pardon is his Deliver. ance from Execution; or as a Beggar's accepting an Alms is his Prefervative from ftarving. As in thefe Cafes it is not the Art of receiving, but the Benefit received, that is the Prefervation; fo in that Cafe it is not the Act of receiving Chrift, but the Benefit

U

nefit received by Faith, that is the Believer's Righteousness. But "

yon cannot understand how Faith's being imputed to us for Righteousness, can intend that "Chrift's Righteousness is imputed to us."-Well then, let it be even fuppofed, that Faith is here taken fubjectively; and that it was Abraham's Faith itfelf, confidered as an Act of his own, that was impated to him. It may notwithstanding be fet in fuch a View, as will fecure the Truth of the Doctrine I am pleading for, if the Text be confidered as it is in the Original. His Faith was imputed UNTO Righteousness ( diaton) That is, as he was reckoned, judged or esteemed of God to be a found Believer; fo the Faith which was imputed or reckoned to him was unto Righteouf nefs; was inftrumental to his attaining of Righte oufnefs; was the Means, that by the Righteoufnefs of One the free Gift came upon him, unto Juftification of Life; or, in other Words, was the Means of his Intereft in that Righteousness of Chrift, by which he was juftified.In this Senfe, the Imputation refpects his Faith, and intends an Approbation and Acknowledgment of it as true and fincere, and effectual to its proper Purposes. He was approved of God, as having a true and found Faith, a Faith effectual, as an applying Means, unto Righte oufnefs, and thereby unto Juftification; a Faith, which interested him in Christ and his Righteoufnefs, and thereby intitled him unto Acceptance with God, and eternal Life.--He was judged to be fuch a Believer as to have a Right, according to the Terms of the Covenant of Grace, to have Righteoufness imputed to him, without Works, as it is expreffed in Ver. 6th.--According to this View of the Cafe, Imputation is confidered in this Context in both Senfes before explained. Abraham was reckoned