The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

Fourthly, The Difference that hath been among Protestant Writers about this Doctrine is pleaded in the prejudice of it. Osiander in the entrance of the Reformation fell into a vain imagination, that we were Justified or made Righteous with the Essential Righteousness of God, communicated unto us by Jesus Christ. And whereas he was opposed herein with some severity by the most learned persons of those days, to countenance himself in his singularity he pretended that there were twenty different Opinions amongst the Protestants themselves about the formal cause of our Justification before God. This was quickly laid hold on by them of the Roman Church, and is urged as a prejudice against the whole Doctrine, by Bellarmine, Vasquez, and others. But the vanity of this pretence of his hath been sufficiently discovered; and Bellarmine himself could fancy but four Opinions among them, that seemed to be different from one another, reckoning that of Osiander for one: De Justificat. lib. 2. cap. 1. But whereas he knew that the Imagination of Osiander was exploded by them all, the other three that he mentions are indeed but distinct parts of the same entire Doctrine. Wherefore until of late it might be truly said, that the Faith and Doctrine of all Protestants was in this Article entirely the same. For however they differed in the way, manner, and methods of its Declaration, and too many private men were addicted unto Definitions and Descriptions of their own, under pretence of Logical accuracy in Teaching, which gave an appearance of some contradiction among them, yet in this they generally agreed, that it is the Righteousness of Christ and not our own, on the account whereof we receive the pardon of sin, acceptance with God, are declared Righteous by the Gospel, and have a Right and Title unto the Heavenly Inheritance. Hereon, I say they were generally agreed, first against the ⟨p. 78⟩Papists, and afterwards against the Socinians; and where this is granted, I will not contend with any man about his way of declaring the Doctrine of it.

And that I may add it by the way, we have herein the concurrence of the Fathers of the Primitive Church. For although by Justification following the Etymology of the Latin word, they understood the making us Righteous with internal personal Righteousness, at least some of them did so, as Austin in particular, yet that we are pardoned and accepted with God on any other account, but that of the Righteousness of Christ, they believed not. And whereas, especially in their Controversy with the Pelagians after the rising of that Heresy, they plead vehemently that we are made Righteous by the Grace of God, changing our Hearts and Natures, and creating in us a principle of spiritual Life and Holiness, and not by the endeavours of our own free will, or works performed in the strength thereof, their words and expressions have been abused contrary to their Intention and Design.