T SECT. I. Of imputed Guilt. HE first Thing which offers is the Vindicator's Reflection. p. 6. I fay, Scrip. Doc. p. 13. that the real Guilt of our firft Parents Tranfgreffion must be perfonal, and belong only to themfelves. Here he tells me, That I should have known before I wrote on this Subject, that actual, personal Sin, and imputed Guilt, are quite two Things, which yet I perpetually confound, or make them to be the fame, throughout my Book.-But he will have no Reafon to blame me, if he confiders I was writing, not the CalviniltScholaftic-, but the Scripture-Doctrine of Original Sin. Now in Scripture, after the ftrictest Examination, I could not find that actual, perfonal Sin, and imputed Guilt are two different Things, but one and the fame Thing; faving only that actual, perfonal Sin is then imputed, when it is laid to the Charge of the Person who has committed it; and on the contrary, is not imputed when it is forgiven, or not tax'd with a Penalty. For though in Scripture an Action is frequently faid to be imputed, reckoned, accounted to a Perfon, it is no other than his own Act and Deed, which is accounted, reckoned, or imputed to B 2 him, 6 ; know God will CORRUPT or destroy me, 1 Cor. iii. 17. If I am faithful to my Trust as a Minister of the Gofpel, whatever my prefent Lot may be, I am fure of receiving in a little Time the Crown of everlasting Life: Therefore it is my earneft Defire and highest Ambition to understand, live and preach the Truth as it is in fefus. I bear Good-will to all Mankind, and fhall ever ftudy to cultivate Peace and Friendship with all my Fellow-Chriftians. I would not willingly difturb or displease any Perfon in the World and why fhould any be difpleafed at me, while I fincerely follow God, and peaceably do my Duty? But if any one is disgusted, or reproaches, cenfures, or maligns me, I matter it not. May I but approve myself to God, be happy in the Teftimony of a good Confcience, and in any Degree ferviceable to the Caufe of true Religion, I can difregard the Cenfures of Men, who fhortly shall return to their Duft, and as well as myself, ftand before the Judgment-Seat of CHRIST; where, I am sure, they fhall not judge me, but be judged themselves. w In this Mind; in Love and Peace with all Men, in a full Perfuafion I am to answer in the great Day for what I now write, and in Dependence upon the Father of Lights to lead me into the Truth, I addrefs myself to the Work I have undertaken. 8 * SECT. SECT. I. Of imputed Guilt. Τ HE first Thing which offers is the Vindicator's Reflection. p. 6. I fay, Scrip. Doc. p. 13. that the real Guilt of our firft Parents Tranfgreffion must be perfonal, and belong only to themfelves. Here he tells me, That I should have known before I wrote on this Subject, that actual, personal Sin, and imputed Guilt, are quite two Things, which yet I perpetually confound, or make them to be the fame, throughout my Book.-But he will have no Reafon to blame me, if he confiders I was writing, not the CalviniltScholaftic-, but the Scripture-Doctrine of Original Sin. Now in Scripture, after the ftrictest Examination, I could not find that actual, perfonal Sin, and imputed Guilt are two different Things, but one and the fame Thing; faving only that actual, perfonal Sin is then imputed, when it is laid to the Charge of the Perfon who has committed it; and on the contrary, is not imputed when it is forgiven, or not tax'd with a Penalty. For though in Scripture an Action is frequently faid to be imputed, reckoned, accounted to a Perfon, it is no other than his own Act and Deed, which is accounted, reckoned, or imputed to him, B 2 him, either for Righteoufnefs or Condemnation. I have with a good deal of Care search'd the facred Writings on this Head, and can find no more Places in all the Bible where imputing, accounting or reckoning an ACTION to any Perfon is fpoken of, but thofe that follow. GEN. XV. 6. And he believed in the Lord, and be, [the Lord,] counted it, [his believing in the Lord,] unto him for Righteousness. So Gal. iii. 6. Jam. ii. 23. Lev. xvii. 3, 4. What Man foever killeth an Ox, &c. and bringeth it not unto the Door of the Tabernacle, &c. Blood [the Blood he hath unlawfully fpilt] fhall be imputed unto that Man. Num. xviii. 26, 27. Ye [Levites] fhall offer up an Heaveoffering of it, the Tithes unto the Lord, even a tenth Part of the Tithe, and this your Heaveoffering fhall be reckoned unto you as tho' it were the Corn of the Threshing-floor, and as the Fulness of the Wine-prefs: That is, it should be as acceptable to God as the Tithes, which all the Tribes of Ifrael paid out of the Threshing-floor and Wine-prefs. 1 Sam. xxii. 15. Let not the King impute any thing [any difloyal Action] to his Servant, for thy Servant knew nothing of all this, more or less; and therefore nothing can juftly be imputed to me. 2 Sam. xix. 19. Shimei faid unto the King, Let not my Lord impute Iniquity to me, neither remember that which thy Servant did perverfely. Pfal. xxxii. 2. Bleed is the Man to to whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity, i. e. his Tranfgreffion and Sin fpoken of ver. 1. Pfal. cvi. 31. And that, [his executing Judgment] was counted unto him [Phinehas] for righteoufnefs. Prov. xxvii. 14. He that blef feth his Friend with a loud Voice, rifing early in the Morning, it shall be counted a Curfe to him. Rom. ii. 26. If the Uncircumcifion keep the Righteousness of the Law, fhall not his [obedient] Uncircumcifion be accounted to him for Circumcifion. Rom. iv. 3. Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him for Righteoufnefs--Ver. 4. Now to him that worketh is the Reward not reckoned of Grace, but of Debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that juftifieth the Ungodly, his Faith is counted for Righteousness-Ver 6. Even as David alfo defcribeth the Blefedness of the Man unto whom God imputeth * Righteouf nefs without Works, faying, Bleffed are they whofe Iniquities are forgiven, whofe Sins are covered. Bleed is the Man to whom the Lord will not impute Sin. Ver. 9.-We say, That Faith was reckoned to Abraham for Righteouf nefs. Ver. 11. That he might be the Father of all them that believe, tho' they be not circumcifed; that Righteousness might be imB 3 puted *Reward and Righteousness here have nearly the fame Signification; Reward is oppos'd to Punishment, and Righteousness to Condemnation, 2 Cor. iii. 9. Therefore Reward and Righteousness are THINGS not AcTIONS. So Phil 18. If he has wronged thee, or cweth |