A discourse of the saving grace of God

(14.) It destroys Justification of the Gospel, all Justification of Sinners, which the Gospel gives notice of: It will have us Justified, not by the Righteousness of Christ, ⟨p. 81⟩or of God, but our own Righteousness; by our own Righteousness, in the fullest and grossest sense; by a Righteousness which is in our selves, and of our selves, and by our selves: By our own acts or works, not Performed by the help of any special Grace, but by the Power of Freewill.

Their Justification is thus stated: The act of Faith (or sincere Obedience, or inherent Holiness) though it be imperfect, yet is accepted of God instead of a perfect Righteousness; and so by it we are Justified, as if it were a perfect Righteousness. Now those acts of Faith, or Obedience, or whatever they call it, which they will have to be the Righteousness by which we are Justified, is not of Grace neither: It is not the Gift of God, he never purposed or promised to give it unto any: It is not the Purchase of Christ, he never merited it for any: It is not the Work of the Spirit of Grace, he does no more towards it in those that have it, than in those that never have it.

So that the Righteousness whereby they are Justified, is so far from being that which Christ performed, that he did not so much as Merit it; so far from being ⟨p. 82⟩the Righteousness of God, that he does not give it; so far from being the Issue of Gods Free Grace, that it is the Product of our Free-will. How Sinners are Justified, the Apostle declares in the Text, and Tit. 3. 7. and Rom. 3. 34. But by this Doctrine, we are so far from being Justified freely by his Grace, through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus, that we are Justified without the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus; not freely, not by his Grace, but by acts of our own Free-will, passing for a perfect Righteousness; when they are no such thing, nor can upon any ground be so accounted.