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

For I say that Christ and all his imputed Righteousness, is made ours, and we pardoned and justified at first without any works or obedience more then bare faith, (and what is precedent in its place or concomitant) and that bona opera sequuntur justificatum non praecedunt justificandum, in regard of our first justification. I dare not say, they are Antecedents or media ordinata. Where you add, what is that to you that make the righteousness of the Covenant of grace to be made ours upon our godly working. &c. I answer, 1. I have showed it is as much as I say, if not more, [upon] intending but a condition or medium ordinatum. 2. I never said what you say I maintain in phrase or sense (if the word [made] intend either efficiency or any causality, or the first possession of Righteousness. 3. You much use the harsh phrase of [working] as here [Godly working] as mine; which I doubt whether ever I uttered or used; And the term [works] I little use, but in the explication of James. For I told you that I disclaim works in Pauls sense, Rom. 4.4. which make the reward not of grace, but of debt. You add [If therefore you had spent your self to show that faith hath no peculiar instrumentality in our justification but what other graces have, then you had hit the mark.] Answ. I confess Sir you now come to the point in difference. But do you not hereby confess that I give no more to works then you, but only less to faith? Why then do you still harp upon the word [works] as if I did give more to them? the task you now set me is to prove that faith doth no more, and not that works do so much: That faith is not an instrument, and not that love or obedience are conditions. And to this I answer you: 1. I have in my book said somewhat to prove faith no instrument of justifying, and you said nothing against it. Why then should I aim at this mark? 2. I think I have proved there that faith justifieth primarily and properly as the condition of the Covenant, and but remotely as A receiving justification, this which you call the instrumentality, being but the very formal nature of the act, and so the quasi materia or its aptitude to the office of Justifying. And because I build much on this supposition, I put it in the Queries, which you judge impertinent. 3.

For I say that Christ and all his imputed Righteousness, is made ours, and we pardoned and justified at first without any works or obedience more then bare faith, (and what is precedent in its place or concomitant) and that bona opera sequuntur justificatum non praecedunt justificandum, in regard of our first justification. I dare not say, they are Antecedents or media ordinata. Where you add, what is that to you that make the righteousness of the Covenant of grace to be made ours upon our godly working. &c. I answer, 1. I have shewed it is as much as I say, if not more, [upon] intending but a condition or medium ordinatum. 2. I never said what you say I maintain in phrase or sense (if the word [made] intend either efficiency or any causality, or the first possession of Righteousness. 3. You much use the harsh phrase of [working] as here [Godly working] as mine; which I doubt whether ever I uttered or used; And the term [works] I little use, but in the explication of James. For I told you that I disclaim works in Pauls sense,