The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

3. The assignation of the sole end of the Death of Christ to be the procurement of the new Covenant in the sense contended for, doth indeed evacuate all the virtue of the Death of Christ and of the Covenant it self. For (1) the Covenant which they intend, is nothing but the Constitution and proposal of new Terms and Conditions for life and salvation unto all men. Now whereas the acceptance and accomplishment of these conditions, depend upon the Wills of men no way determined by effectual Grace, it was possible that notwithstanding all Christ did by his Death, yet no one Sinner might be saved thereby, but that the whole end and design of God therein might be frustrate. (2) Whereas the substantial advantage of these conditions lieth herein, that God will now for the sake of Christ, accept of an Obedience, inferior unto that required in the Law, and so as that the ⟨p. 275⟩Grace of Christ doth not raise up all things unto a Conformity and compliance with the Holiness and Will of God declared therein, but accommodate all things unto our present condition, nothing can be invented more dishonourable to Christ and the Gospel. For what doth it else but make Christ the Minister of sin, in disannulling the Holiness that the Law requires, or the Obligation of the Law unto it, without any provision of what might answer, or come into the Room of it, but that which is incomparably less worthy. Nor is it consistent with Divine Wisdom, Goodness, and Immutability, to appoint unto mankind a Law of Obedience, and cast them all under the severest penalty upon the Transgression of it, when he could in Justice and Honour, have given them such a Law of Obedience, whose observance might consist with many failings and sins. For if he have done that now, he could have done so before, which how far it reflects on the Glory of the Divine Properties might be easily manifested. Neither doth this fond Imagination comply with those Testimonies of Scripture, that the Lord Christ came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfil it, that he is the end of the Law, and that by Faith the Law is not disannulled but established.

3. The assignation of the sole end of the Death of Christ to be the procurement of the new Covenant in the sense contended for, doth indeed evacuate all the vertue of the Death of Christ and of the Covenant it self. For (1) the Covenant which they intend, is nothing but the Constitution and proposal of new Terms and Conditions for life and salvation unto all men. Now whereas the acceptance and accomplishment of these conditions, depend upon the Wills of men no way determined by effectual Grace, it was possible that notwithstanding all Christ did by his Death, yet no one Sinner might be saved thereby, but that the whole end and design of God therein might be frustrate. (2) Whereas the substantial advantage of these conditions lieth herein, that God will now for the sake of Christ, accept of an Obedience, inferior unto that required in the Law, and so as that the