The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

And that the Gospel requires all these things entirely and and equally, as the Condition of our Justification before God, and so antecedently thereunto, is not yet proved, nor ever will be. It is hence concluded, That this is our Righteousness, according unto the Evangelical Law which requires it, by this we are made Righteous, that is, not guilty of the non-performance of the condition required in that Law. And these things are said to be very plain. So no doubt they seemed unto the Author; unto us they are intricate and perplexed. However, I wholly deny that our Faith, Obedience, and Righteousness, considered as ours, as wrought by us, although they are all accepted with God through Jesus Christ according to the Grace declared in the Gospel, do perfectly answer the commands of the Gospel, requiring them of us, as to matter, manner, and degree, and that therefore it is utterly impossible that they should be the cause or condition of our Justification before God. Yet in the Explanation of these things, it is added by the same Author, that our maimed and imperfect Righteousness is accepted unto Salvation, as if it were every way absolute and perfect, for that so it should be, Christ hath merited ⟨p. 331⟩by his most perfect Righteousness. But it is Justification and not Salvation that alone we discourse about; and that the works of Obedience or Righteousness, have another respect unto Salvation, then they have unto Justification, is too plainly and too often expressed in the Scripture, to be modestly denied. And if this weak and imperfect Righteousness of ours, be esteemed and accepted as every way perfect before God, then either it is because God judgeth it to be perfect, and so declares us to be most just, and justified thereon in his sight, or he judgeth it not to be complete and perfect, yet declareth us to be perfectly Righteous in his sight thereby. Neither of these I suppose can well be granted. It will therefore be said, it is neither of them; but Christ hath obtained by his complete and most perfect Righteousness and Obedience, that this lame and imperfect Righteousness of ours should be accepted as every way perfect.

And that the Gospel requires all these things entirely and and equally, as the Condition of our Justification before God, and so antecedently thereunto, is not yet proved, nor ever will be. It is hence concluded, That this is our Righteousness, according unto the Evangelical Law which requires it, by this we are made Righteous, that is, not guilty of the non-performance of the condition required in that Law. And these things are said to be very plain. So no doubt they seemed unto the Author; unto us they are intricate and perplexed. However, I wholly deny that our Faith, Obedience, and Righteousness, considered as ours, as wrought by us, although they are all accepted with God through Jesus Christ according to the Grace declared in the Gospel, do perfectly answer the commands of the Gospel, requiring them of us, as to matter, manner, and degree, and that therefore it is utterly impossible that they should be the cause or condition of our Justification before God. Yet in the Explanation of these things, it is added by the same Author, that our maimed and imperfect Righteousness is accepted unto Salvation, as if it were every way absolute and perfect, for that so it should be, Christ hath merited