The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

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.

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 Latine 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 Controversie with the Pelagians after the rising of that Heresie, 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.

For we wholly concur with them, and subscribe unto all that they dispute about the making of us personally Righteous and holy, by the effectual Grace of God, against all merit of works and operations of our own free Will, (our Sanctification being every way as much of Grace, as our Justification properly so called) and that in opposition unto the common Doctrine of the Roman Church about the same matter; only they call this our being made inherently and personally Righteous by Grace, sometimes by the name of Justification which we do not. And this is laid hold on as an Advantage by those of the Roman Church who do not concur with them in the way and manner whereby we are so made Righteous. But whereas by our Justification before God, we intend only that Righteousness whereon our sins are pardoned, wherewith we are made Righteous in his sight, or for which we are accepted as Righteous