An end of doctrinal controversies which have lately troubled the churches

§. 54. It seemeth strange to some, to find the whole Old Testament, and all Christ's Sermons, and all the other Apostles, inculcating inherent and performed Righteousness, as that which Men must be judged about, to Life or Death, and yet to find Paul so oft pleading against Justification by Works. But if we will take the Scripture together, and not by incoherent scraps, the reconciliation is evident.

Man is now sinful, and condemned by the first Law, and is now under a Law of Grace, that freely giveth Pardon and Life through a Redeemer, to those that believingly accept the Gift according to its nature, and consent by Repentance to turn to God, and live a holy life in sincerity: Now God doth through all the Scripture tell us, That no one shall pass with God for a just man, or be saved, that will not do this, but shall be condemned further for refusing it: And thus he that doth Righteousness is righteous, and all shall be judged according to their works, thus required by the Law of Grace. To deny this, is to deny the scope of the whole Scripture, and the Government of God.

But Paul disputed against those that taught that the Gentiles must be proselyted, and keep the Law of Moses, or else they could not be ⟨p. 253⟩accounted just men, nor be saved: And he proveth, that the Gentiles being under the Law of Grace, may pass with God for just men and be saved, if they [Believingly accept the Gift of Grace according to its nature, and consent by Repentance to turn to God, and live a holy life in sincerity] though they keep not the Jewish Law: Yea, further, that though the Jewish Fathers were obliged to keep that Law, it was as it belonged to the Covenant of Grace and of Faith, and that before that Law was given Abraham and others, were just and saved by Faith, according to the universal Law of Grace; and that the Task of Works, according to the Mosaical Law, will of it self make no man just or savable, and consequently no other Task of Works, which would make the Reward to be not of Grace but of Debt, and is opposed to, or separated from Redemption and the free condonation and donation of the Covenant of Grace.] This is the plain drift of Paul.