The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

It is true, That Right unto Eternal Life, doth succeed unto freedom from the guilt of Eternal Death. That they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them that are sanctified. But it doth not so do, out of a necessity in the nature of the things themselves, but only in the free constitution of God. Believers have the pardon of sin, and an immediate Right and Title unto the favour of God, the Adoption ⟨p. 388⟩of Sons, and Eternal Life. But there is another state in the nature of the things themselves, and this might have been so actually, had it so seemed good unto God: For who sees not, that there is a Status or Conditio Personae, wherein he is neither under the guilt of Condemnation, nor hath an immediate Right and Title unto Glory, in the way of Inheritance. God might have pardoned Men all their sins past, and placed them in a state and condition of seeking Righteousness for the future, by the Works of the Law, that so they might have lived: For this would answer the original state of Adam. But God hath not done so; true; but whereas he might have done so, it is evident that the disposal of Men into this state and condition of Right unto Life and Salvation, doth not depend on, nor proceed from the pardon of sin, but hath another cause, which is the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ unto us, as he fulfilled the Law for us.

It is true, That Right unto Eternal Life, doth succeed unto freedom from the guilt of Eternal Death. That they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them that are sanctified. But it doth not so do, out of a necessity in the nature of the things themselves, but only in the free constitution of God. Believers have the pardon of sin, and an immediate Right and Title unto the favor of God, the Adoption ⟨p. 388⟩of Sons, and Eternal Life. But there is another state in the nature of the things themselves, and this might have been so actually, had it so seemed good unto God: For who sees not, that there is a Status or Conditio Personae, wherein he is neither under the guilt of Condemnation, nor hath an immediate Right and Title unto Glory, in the way of Inheritance. God might have pardoned Men all their sins past, and placed them in a state and condition of seeking Righteousness for the future, by the Works of the Law, that so they might have lived: For this would answer the original state of Adam. But God hath not done so; true; but whereas he might have done so, it is evident that the disposal of Men into this state and condition of Right unto Life and Salvation, doth not depend on, nor proceed from the pardon of sin, but hath another cause, which is the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ unto us, as he fulfilled the Law for us.