The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

1. The Doctrine of Justification is a part, yea an eminent part of the mystery of the Gospel. It is no marvel therefore if it be not so exposed unto the common notions of Reason, as some would have it to be. There is more required unto the true spiritual understanding of such mysteries; yea unless we intend to renounce the Gospel, it must be asserted, that Reason as it is corrupted, and the mind of man destitute of Divine supernatural Revelation, do dislike every such Truth, and rise up in Enmity against it. So the Scripture directly affirms, Rom. 8.7. 1 Cor. 2.14.

2. Hence are the Minds and Inventions of men wonderful fertile in coining Objections against Evangelical Truths, and raising cavils against them. Seldom to this purpose do they want an endless number of sophistical Objections, which because they know no better, they themselves judge insoluble. For carnal Reason being once set at liberty under the false notion of Truth, to act it self freely and boldly against spiritual mysteries, is subtle in its arguings, and pregnant in its Invention of them. How endless, for instance, are the Sophisms of the Socinians against the Doctrine of the Trinity, and how do they triumph in them as unanswerable. Under the shelter of them they despise the force of the most evident Testimonies of the Scripture, and those multiplied on all occasions. In like manner they deal with the Doctrine of the satisfaction of Christ, as the Pelagians of old did with that of ⟨p. 297⟩his Grace. Wherefore he that will be startled at the Appearance of subtle or plausible Objections, against any Gospel mysteries that are plainly revealed, and sufficiently attested in the Scripture, is not likely to come unto much stability in his Profession of them.

2. Hence are the Minds and Inventions of men wonderful fertile in coyning Objections against Evangelical Truths, and raising cavils against them. Seldom to this purpose do they want an endless number of sophistical Objections, which because they know no better, they themselves judge insoluble. For carnal Reason being once set at liberty under the false notion of Truth, to act it self freely and boldly against spiritual mysteries, is subtile in its arguings, and pregnant in its Invention of them. How endless, for instance, are the Sophisms of the Socinians against the Doctrine of the Trinity, and how do they triumph in them as unanswerable. Under the shelter of them they despise the force of the most evident Testimonies of the Scripture, and those multiplied on all occasions. In like manner they deal with the Doctrine of the satisfaction of Christ, as the Pelagians of old did with that of