The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

Our Enquiry is, how convinced sinners do on their Believing obtain the Remission of sins, Acceptance with God, ⟨p. 316⟩and a Right unto Eternal Life. And if this can no other way be done, but by the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ unto them, then thereby alone are they justified in the sight of God. And this Assertion proceedeth on a supposition that there is a Righteousness required unto the Justification of any person whatever. For whereas God in the Justification of any person, doth declare him to be acquitted from all crimes laid unto his charge, and to stand as Righteous in his sight, it must be on the consideration of a Righteousness, whereon any man is so acquitted and declared; for the Judgment of God is according unto Truth. This we have sufficiently evidenced before in that juridical procedure wherein the Scripture represents unto us the Justification of a Believing sinner. And if there be no other Righteousness whereby we may be thus justified, but only that of Christ imputed unto us, then thereby must we be justified or not at all. And if there be any such other Righteousness, it must be our own, inherent in us, and wrought out by us. For these two kinds inherent and imputed Righteousness, our own and Christs divide the whole nature of Righteousness, as to the End enquired after. And that there is no such inherent Righteousness, no such Righteousness of our own whereby we may be justified before God, I shall prove in the first place. And I shall do it, first from express Testimonies of Scripture, and then from the consideration of the thing it self. And two things I shall premise hereunto.

1. That I shall not consider this Righteousness of our own absolutely in it self, but as it may be conceived to be improved and advanced by its Relation unto the satisfaction and merit of Christ; For many will grant that our inherent Righteousness is not of it self sufficient to justify us in the sight of God. But take it as it hath value and worth communicated unto it from the merit of Christ, and so it is accepted unto that End, and judged worthy of Eternal Life. We could not merit Life and Salvation, had not Christ merited that Grace ⟨p. 317⟩