The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

3. I know not what some men intend. On the one hand they affirm that our Lord Jesus Christ hath enlarged and heightened the spiritual sense of the moral Law, and not only so, but added unto it new precepts of more exact Obedience than it did require. But on the other they would have him to have brought down or taken off the Obligation of the Law, so as that a man according as he hath adapted it unto the use of the Gospel, shall be judged of God to have fulfilled the whole Obedience which it requires, who never answered any one precept of it according unto its original sense and obligation. For so it must be, if this imperfect Righteousness be on any account esteemed a fulfilling of the Rule of our Obedience, as that thereon we should be justified in the sight of God.

4. This opinion puts an irreconcilable Difference between the Law and the Gospel, not to be composed by any distinctions. For according unto it, God declares by the Gospel a man to be perfectly Righteous, justified and blessed, upon the consideration of a Righteousness that is imperfect; and in the Law he pronounceth every one accursed who continueth not in all things required by it, and as they are therein required. But it is said that this Righteousness is no otherwise to be considered, but as the condition of the new Covenant whereon we obtain Remission of sins on the sole account of the satisfaction of Christ wherein our Justification doth consist.

4. This opinion puts an irreconcileable Difference between the Law and the Gospel, not to be composed by any distinctions. For according unto it, God declares by the Gospel a man to be perfectly Righteous, justified and blessed, upon the consideration of a Righteousness that is imperfect; and in the Law he pronounceth every one accursed who continueth not in all things required by it, and as they are therein required. But it is said that this Righteousness is no otherwise to be considered, but as the condition of the new Covenant whereon we obtain Remission of sins on the sole account of the satisfaction of Christ wherein our Justification doth consist.