The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

But to root out the Superstitions mentioned out of the minds of men, to communicate unto them the knowledge of the Righteousness of God which is revealed from Faith to Faith, and thereby to deliver them from their bondage, fears and distress, directing convinced sinners unto the only way of solid peace with God, did the first Reformers labour so diligently in the Declaration and Vindication of the Evangelical Doctrine of Justification; and God was with them. And it is worth our consideration, whether we should on every cavil and sophism of men not so taught, not so employed, not so tried, not so owned of God as they were, and in whose Writings there are not appearing such Characters of Wisdom, sound Judgment, and deep Experience as in theirs, easily part with that Doctrine of Truth, wherein alone they found peace unto their own Souls, and whereby they were instrumental to give liberty and peace with God unto the Souls and Consciences of others innumerable, accompanied with the visible effects of Holiness of Life, and fruitfulness in the works of Righteousness, unto the praise of God by Jesus Christ.

But to root out the Superstitions mentioned out of the minds of men, to communicate unto them the knowledge of the Righteousness of God which is revealed from Faith to Faith, and thereby to deliver them from their bondage, fears and distress, directing convinced sinners unto the only way of solid peace with God, did the first Reformers labour so diligently in the Declaration and Vindication of the Evangelical Doctrine of Justification; and God was with them. And it is worth our consideration, whether we should on every cavil and sophism of men not so taught, not so employed, not so tryed, not so owned of God as they were, and in whose Writings there are not appearing such Characters of Wisdom, sound Judgment, and deep Experience as in theirs, easily part with that Doctrine of Truth, wherein alone they found peace unto their own Souls, and whereby they were instrumental to give liberty and peace with God unto the Souls and Consciences of others innumerable, accompanied with the visible effects of Holiness of Life, and fruitfulness in the works of Righteousness, unto the praise of God by Jesus Christ.

In my judgment Luther spake the truth when he said; amisso Articulo Justificationis, simul amissa est tota Doctrina Christiana. And I wish he had not been a true Prophet, when he foretold that in the following Ages the Doctrine hereof would be again obscured; the Causes whereof I have elsewhere enquired into.