The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

1. For the Doctrine of Justification is directive of Christian Practice, and in no other Evangelical Truth is the whole of our Obedience more concerned; For the Foundation, Reasons and Motives of all our Duty towards God are contained therein: Wherefore in order unto the due improvement of them, ought it to be taught and not otherwise. That which alone we aim (or ought so to do) to learn in it and by it, is how we may get and maintain peace with God, and so to live unto him, as to be accepted with him in what we do. To satisfy the Minds and Consciences of men in these things, is this Doctrine to be taught. Wherefore to carry it out of the understandings of ordinary Christians by speculative notions and distinctions is disserviceable unto the Faith of the Church. Yea the mixing of Evangelical Revelations with Philosophical Notions hath been in sundry Ages the Poison of Religion. Pretence of accuracy and artificial skill in Teaching, is that which giveth countenance unto such a way of handling sacred things. But the Spiritual Amplitude of Divine Truths is restrained hereby, whilst low mean Philosophical senses are imposed on them. And not only so, but endless Divisions and Contentions are occasioned and perpetuated. ⟨p. 6⟩Hence when any Difference in Religion is, in the pursuit of Controversies about it, brought into the field of Metaphysical Respects and Philosophical terms whereof there is [Greek or Hebrew], sufficient provision for the supply of the Combatants on both sides, the truth for the most part, as unto any concernment of the souls of men therein, is utterly lost, and buried in the rubbish of senseless and unprofitable words. And thus in particular, those who seem to be well enough agreed in the whole Doctrine of Justification, so far as the Scripture goeth before them, and the Experience of Believers keeps them company, when once they engage into their Philosophical Definitions and Distinctions, are at such an irreconcilable variance among themselves, as if they were agreed on no one thing that doth concern it. For as men have various apprehensions in coining such Definitions as may be defensible against Objections, which most men aim at therein: So no Proposition can be so plain (at least in materia probabili) but that a man ordinarily versed in Pedagogical Terms and Metaphysical Notions, may multiply Distinctions on every word of it.

1. For the Doctrine of Justification is directive of Christian Practice, and in no other Evangelical Truth is the whole of our Obedience more concerned; For the Foundation, Reasons and Motives of all our Duty towards God are contained therein: Wherefore in order unto the due improvement of them, ought it to be taught and not otherwise. That which alone we aim (or ought so to do) to learn in it and by it, is how we may get and maintain peace with God, and so to live unto him, as to be accepted with him in what we do. To satisfie the Minds and Consciences of men in these things, is this Doctrine to be taught. Wherefore to carry it out of the understandings of ordinary Christians by speculative notions and distinctions is disserviceable unto the Faith of the Church. Yea the mixing of Evangelical Revelations with Philosophical Notions hath been in sundry Ages the Poison of Religion. Pretence of accuracy and artificial skill in Teaching, is that which giveth countenance unto such a way of handling sacred things. But the Spiritual Amplitude of Divine Truths is restrained hereby, whilst low mean Philosophical senses are imposed on them. And not only so, but endless Divisions and Contentions are occasioned and perpetuated.