The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

Against such as these the Doctrine of Justification may be defended, as we are obliged to contend for the Faith once delivered unto the Saints, and as the mouths of Gainsayers are to be stopped. But to endeavour their satisfaction in it, whilst they are under the power of such apprehensions is a vain Attempt. As our Saviour said unto them unto whom he had declared the necessity of Regeneration; if I have told you Earthly things and you believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you heavenly things? so may we say, if men will not believe those things, whereof it would be marvellous, but that the Reason of it is known, that they have not an undeniable Evidence and Experience in themselves, how can they believe those Heavenly mysteries which respect a supposition of that within themselves, which they will not acknowledge.

Hence some are so far from any concernment in a perfect Righteousness to be imputed unto them, as that they boast of a perfection in themselves. So did the Pelagians of old, glory of a sinless perfection in the sight of God, even when they ⟨p. 22⟩were convinced of sinful miscarriages in the sight of men, as they are charged by Hierom, lib. 2. Dialog. and by Austin. lib. 2. contra Julian. cap. 8. Such persons are not Subjecta capacia auditionis Evangelicae. Whilst men have no sense in their own Hearts and Consciences of the spiritual disorder of their Souls, of the secret continual actings of sin with deceit and violence, obstructing all that is good, promoting all that is evil, defiling all that is done by them through the lusting of the Flesh against the Spirit as contrary unto it, though no outward perpetration of sin nor actual omission of Duty do ensue thereon; who are not engaged in a constant watchful conflict against the first motions of sin, unto whom they are not the greatest burden and sorrow in this life, causing them to cry out for deliverance from them; who can despise those who make acknowledgements in their confession unto God, of their sense of these things, with the Guilt wherewith they are accompanied, will with an assured confidence reject and contemn what is offered about Justification through the Obedience and Righteousness of Christ imputed to us. For no man will be so fond as to be solicitous of a Righteousness that is not his own, who hath at home in a readiness that which is his own, which will serve his turn. It is therefore the ignorance of these things alone, that can delude men into an apprehension of their Justification before God by their own personal Righteousness. For if they were acquainted with them, they would quickly discern such an imperfection in the best of their Duties, such a frequency of sinful irregularities in their Minds, and disorders in their Affections, such an unsuitableness in all that they are and do, from the inward frames of their Hearts unto all their outward actions, unto the Greatness and Holiness of God, as would abate their confidence in placing any Trust in their own Righteousness for their Justification.