Of justification four disputations clearing and amicably defending the truth against the unnecessary oppositions…

It seems strange to me to hear men on either side to speak ⟨p. 70⟩against the Negative or Affirmative of the Question, and reproach so bitterly those that maintain them, without any distinction or explication; as if either the error lay in the terms, or the terms were so plain and univocal, that the Propositions are true only on one part, what sense soever they be taken in. No doubt but he saith true, that saith that Works are the Condition of Justification: and he saith as true, that saith they are not, if they take the terms in such different senses as commonly Disputers on these Questions do take them. And its past all doubt that [a man is justified by faith without the works of the Law; and that it is not of Works, but of Grace: and its as certain that [a man is justified by works and not by faith only; and that by their Words men shall be justified, and by their Words they shall be condemned.] Gods word were not true, if both these were not true.

We must therefore necessarily distinguish: And first of Works.

First, Sometime the term, Works is taken for that (in general) which makes the Reward to be not of Grace but of Debt: Meritorious works: Or for such as are conceited to be thus meritorious, though they be not. And those are materially, either Works of perfect obedience without sin, (such as Adam had before his fall, and Christ had, and the good Angels have,) or else Works of obedience to the Mosaical Law, which supposed sin, and were used in order to pardon and life, but mistakingly by the blind Unbelievers, as supposing that the dignity of the Law did put such a dignity on their obedience thereto, as that it would serve to life without the satisfaction and merit of Christ, or at least must concur in Co-ordination therewith. Or else lastly, they are Gospel duties, thus conceited meritorious.