The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

That the way and manner of our Justification before God, with all the Causes and Means of it are designedly declared by the Apostle in the Epistle unto the Romans, Chap. 3.4, 5. as also vindicated from Objections, so as to render his discourse thereon the proper Seat of this Doctrine, and whence it is principally to be learned, cannot modestly ⟨p. 443⟩be denied. The late exceptions of some, That this Doctrine of Justification by Faith, without Works, is found only in the Writings of S. Paul, and that his Writings are obscure and intricate, are both false and scandalous to Christian Religion, so as that in this place we shall not afford them the least consideration. He wrote [Greek or Hebrew], as he was moved by the Holy Ghost. And as all the matter delivered by him was sacred Truth, which immediately requires our Faith and Obedience, so the way and manner wherein he declared it, was such as the Holy Ghost judged most expedient for the edification of the Church. And as he said himself with confidence, That if the Gospel which he Preached, and as it was Preached by him, though accounted by them foolishness, was hid, so as that they could not understand, nor comprehend the Mystery of it, it was hid unto them that are lost; so we may say, That if what he delivereth in particular concerning our Justification before God, seems obscure, difficult, or perplexed unto us, it is from our prejudices, corrupt affections, or weakness of understanding at best, not able to comprehend the glory of this Mystery of the Grace of God in Christ, and not from any defect in his way, and manner of the Revelation of it. Rejecting therefore all such perverse insinuations, in a due sense of our own weakness, and acknowledgement that at best we know but in part, we shall humbly inquire into the Blessed Revelation of this great Mystery of the Justification of a sinner before God, as by him declared in those Chapters of his glorious Epistle to the Romans; and I shall do it with all briefness possible, so as not on this occasion to repeat what hath been already spoken, or to anticipate what may be spoken in place more convenient.