The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

accusari omnes conscientias cogitationibus suis, non inveniri Cor Castum praesumens de justitia, quod quia inveniri non potest, praesumat ergo omnium Cor de misericordia Domini Dei sui, & dicat Deo, si iniquitates observaris Domine, Domine quis sustinebit? Quae autem est spes? quoniam apud te propitiatio est. And whereas we may and ought to represent unto God in our Supplications our Faith, or what it is that we believe herein, I much question, whether some men can find in their hearts to pray over and plead before him, all the Arguments and Distinctions they make use of to prove the interest of our Works and Obedience in our Justification before him, or enter into Judgement with him upon the conclusions which they make from them. Nor will many be satisfied to make use of that Prayer which Pelagius taught the Widow, as it was objected to him in the Diaspolitan Synod. Tu nosti Domine quam sanctae, quam innocentes, quam purae ab omni fraude & rapina quas ad te expando manus; quam justa, quam immaculata labia & ab omni mendacio libera, quibus tibi ut mihi miserearis preces fundo. Thou knowest, O Lord, how holy, how innocent, how pure from all deceit and rapine are the hands which I stretch forth unto thee; how just, how unspotted with evil, how free from lying are those lips wherewith I pour ⟨p. 18⟩forth prayers unto thee, that thou wouldst have mercy on me. And yet although he taught her so to plead her own purity, innocency and righteousness before God, yet he doth it not, as those whereon she might be absolutely justified, but only as the condition of her obtaining mercy. Nor have I observed that any public Liturgies (the Mass-Book only excepted, wherein there is a frequent recourse unto the merits and intercession of Saints) do guide men in their prayers before God to plead any thing for their acceptance with him, or as the means or condition thereof, but Grace, Mercy, the Righteousness and Blood of Christ alone.

accusari omnes conscientias cogitationibus suis, non inveniri Cor Castum praesumens de justitia, quod quia inveniri non potest, praesumat ergo omnium Cor de misericordia Domini Dei sui, & dicat Deo, si iniquitates observaris Domine, Domine quis sustinebit? Quae autem est spes? quoniam apud te propitiatio est. And whereas we may and ought to represent unto God in our Supplications our Faith, or what it is that we believe herein, I much question, whether some men can find in their hearts to pray over and plead before him, all the Arguments and Distinctions they make use of to prove the interest of our Works and Obedience in our Justification before him, or enter into Judgement with him upon the conclusions which they make from them. Nor will many be satisfied to make use of that Prayer which Pelagius taught the Widow, as it was objected to him in the Diaspolitan Synod. Tu nosti Domine quam sanctae, quam innocentes, quam purae ab omni fraude & rapina quas ad te expando manus; quam justa, quam immaculata labia & ab omni mendacio libera, quibus tibi ut mihi miserearis preces fundo. Thou knowest, O Lord, how holy, how innocent, how pure from all deceit and rapine are the hands which I stretch forth unto thee; how just, how unspotted with evil, how free from lying are those lips wherewith I pour