received, and gave up our selves to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and after performed sincerely that Covenant.
3. But let me defend the Word of God: Faith is imputed for Righteousness, even this Faith now described; 1. Remotely, ex materiae aptitudine, for its fitness to its formal Office; And that fitness is, 1. Because it is an Act of Obedience to God, or mo∣rally good, (for a bad or indifferent Act doth not ju∣stifie). 2. More specially as it is the receiving, trusting, and giving up our selves to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, to the proper ends of Re∣demption, or a suitable Reception of the freely offered Gift; and so connoteth Christ the Object (for the Object is essential to the Act in specie). 2. But proximately Faith is so reputed, or imputed, as it is the performance of the Condition of the Justi∣fying Covenant or Donation.
And to be imputed for Righteousness, includeth, That [It is the part required of us by the Law of Grace, to make us partakers of the Benefits of Christ's Righteousness, which meriteth Salvation for us in∣stead of a legal and perfect Righteousness of our own, (which we have not). Or, [Whereas we fell short of a Righteousness of Innocency, Christ by such a Righteousness hath merited our Pardon and Salvation, and giv••n title to them by a New Covenant of Grace, which maketh this Faith the Condition of our Title; and if we do this, we shall be judged evangelically Righteous; that is, such as have done all that was ne∣cessary to their right in Christ and the said Benefits, and therefore have such a Right].
This is plain English, and plain Truth, wrangle no more against it, and against the very Letter of