The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

The second part of the Objection or Charge against the Imputation of the Obedience of Christ unto us, is, That it is useless unto the persons that are to be justified. For whereas they have in their Justification the pardon of all their sins, they are thereby righteous, and have a right or title unto Life and Blessedness: For he who is so pardoned, as not to be esteemed guilty of any sin of omission or commission, wants nothing that is requisite thereunto. For he is supposed to have done all that he ought, and to have omitted nothing required of him in a way of duty. Hereby he becomes not unrighteous, and to be not unrighteous, is the same as to be righteous. As he that is not dead, is alive. Neither is there, nor can there be any middle state between Death and life. Wherefore those who have all their sins forgiven, have the Blessedness of Justification; and there is neither need, nor use of any farther Imputation of Righteousness unto them. And sundry other things of the same nature, are urged unto the same purpose, which will be all of them either obviated in the ensuing discourse, or answered elsewhere.

The second part of the Objection or Charge against the Imputation of the Obedience of Christ unto us, is, That it is useless unto the persons that are to be justified. For whereas they have in their Justification the pardon of all their sins, they are thereby righteous, and have a right or title unto Life and Blessedness: For he who is so pardoned, as not to be esteemed guilty of any sin of omission or commission, wants nothing that is requisite thereunto. For he is supposed to have done all that he ought, and to have omitted nothing required of him in a way of duty. Hereby he becomes not unrighteous, and to be not unrighteous, is the same as to be righteous. As he that is not dead, is alive. Neither is there, nor can there be any middle state between Death and life. Wherefore those who have all their sins forgiven, have the Blessedness of Justification; and there is neither need, nor use of any farther Imputation of Righteousness unto them. And sundry other things of the same nature, are urged unto the same purpose, which will be all of them either obviated in the insuing discourse, or answered elswhere.

Answ. This cause is of more importance, and more evidently stated in the Scriptures, than to be turned into such niceties, which have more of Philosophical subtlety, than Theological solidity, in them. This exception therefore might be dismissed without farther answer, than what is given us in the known rule, That a truth well established and confirmed, is not to be questioned, much less relinquished on every entangling sophism, though it should appear insoluble. But as we shall see, there is no such difficulty in these arguings, but what may easily be discussed. And because the matter of the Plea