The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

The substance of the enquiry wherein alone we are concerned is; what is that Righteousness whereby, and wherewith, a Believing sinner, is justified before God; or whereon he is accepted with God, hath his sins pardoned, is received into Grace and Favour, and hath a Title given him unto the Heavenly Inheritance. I shall no otherwise propose this enquiry, as knowing that it contains the substance of what convinced sinners do look after in and by the Gospel.

And herein it is agreed by all, the Socinians only excepted, that the Procatarctical or procuring cause of the pardon of our sins and acceptance with God, is the satisfaction and merit of Christ. Howbeit it cannot be denied, but that some retaining the names of them, do seem to renounce or disbelieve the things themselves. But we need not to take any notice thereof, until they are free more plainly to express their minds. But as concerning the Righteousness it self enquired after, there seems to be a difference among them, who yet all deny it to be the Righteousness of Christ imputed unto us. For those of the Roman Church plainly say, that upon the infusion of an habit of Grace, with the expulsion of sin and the Renovation of our natures thereby, which they call the first Justification, we are actually justified before God, by our own works of Righteousness. Hereon they dispute about the merit and satisfactoriness of those works, with their condignity of the Reward of eternal life. Others as the Socinians openly disclaim all merit in our works; only some, out of Reverence as I suppose, unto the Antiquity of the word, and under the shelter of the Ambiguity of its signification, have faintly attempted an accommodation with it. But in the substance of what they assent unto this purpose, to the best of my understanding they are all agreed. For what the Papists call Justitia Operum, the Righteousness of works, they call a personal inherent ⟨p. 293⟩Evangelical Righteousness, whereof we have spoken before. And whereas the Papists say, that this Righteousness of Works is not absolutely perfect, nor in it self able to justify us in the sight of God, but owes all its worth and dignity unto this purpose unto the merit of Christ, they affirm that this Evangelical Righteousness is the condition whereon we enjoy the Benefits of the Righteousness of Christ, in the pardon of our sins, and the acceptance of our Persons before God. But as unto those who will acknowledge no other Righteousness wherewith we are justified before God, the meaning is the same, whether we say that on the Condition of this Righteousness we are made partakers of the Benefits of the Righteousness of Christ; or that it is the Righteousness of Christ which makes this Righteousness of ours accepted with God. But these things must afterwards more particularly be enquired into.