The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

A Convinced sinner is only Subjectum capax Justificationis; not that every one that is convinced is or must necessarily be justified. There is not any such disposition or preparation of the subject by this Conviction, its effects and consequents, as that the form of Justification, as the Papists speak, or justifying Grace must necessarily ensue or be introduced thereon. Nor is there any such preparation in it, as that by virtue of any divine Compact or Promise, a Person so convinced, shall be pardoned and justified. But as a man may believe with any kind of Faith that is not justifying, such as that before mentioned, without this Conviction; so it is ordinarily previous, and necessary so to be, unto that Faith which is unto the Justification of Life. The motive is not unto it, that thereon a man shall be assuredly justified; but that without it he cannot be so.

This I say is required in the Person to be justified in order of nature antecedaneously unto that Faith whereby we are justified, which we shall prove with the ensuing Arguments. For (1) without the due consideration and supposition of it. the true nature of Faith can never be understood. For as we have showed before, Justification is Gods way of the Deliverance of the convinced sinner, or one whose mouth is ⟨p. 99⟩stopped, and who is guilty before God, obnoxious to the Law, and shut up under Sin. A sense therefore of this estate and all that belongs unto it, is required unto Believing. Hence Le Blanc who hath searched with some diligence into these things, commends the Definition of Faith given by Mestrezat; that it is the flight of a penitent sinner unto the mercy of God in Christ. And there is indeed more Sense and Truth in it, than in twenty other that seem more accurate. But without a supposition of the Conviction mentioned, there is no understanding of this definition of Faith. For it is that alone which puts the Soul upon a flight unto the mercy of God in Christ, to be saved from the wrath to come, Heb. 6.18. fled for Refuge.

This I say is required in the Person to be justified in order of nature antecedaneously unto that Faith whereby we are justified, which we shall prove with the ensuing Arguments. For (1) without the due consideration and supposition of it. the true nature of Faith can never be understood. For as we have shewed before, Justification is Gods way of the Deliverance of the convinced sinner, or one whose mouth is