Having asserted this Righteousness of God as the cause and means of our justification before him, in opposition unto all Righteousness of our own; and declared the cause of the communication of it unto us on the part of God, to be mere free Sovereign grace, the means on our part, whereby according unto the ordination of God, we do receive, or are really made partakers of that Righteousness of God whereon we are justified, is by faith; [Greek or Hebrew]; that is by faith alone. Nothing else is proposed, nothing else required ⟨p. 450⟩unto this end. It is replied, that there is no intimation that is by faith alone, or that Faith is asserted to be the means of our Justification exclusively unto other Graces or Works. But there is such an exclusion directly included in the description given of that faith whereby we are justified with respect unto its especial object by faith in his blood. For Faith respecting the blood of Christ, as that whereby propitiation was made for Sin, in which respect alone, the Apostle affirms that we are justified through faith, admits of no association with any other Graces or Duties. Neither is it any part of their nature to fix on the blood of Christ, for Justification before God: wherefore they are all here directly excluded. And those who think otherwise, may try how they can introduce them into this context without an evident corrupting of it, and perverting of its sense. Neither will the other evasion yield our Adversaries the least relief: namely, that by faith not the single grace of Faith is intended, but the whole obedience required in the new Covenant, Faith and Works together. For as all works whatever, as our works, are excluded in the declaration of the causes of our Justification on the part of God [Greek or Hebrew] freely by his grace, by virtue of that great Rule, Rom. 11.6. If it be of grace, then no more of works, otherwise Grace is no more Grace; so the determination of the object of faith in its act or duty whereon we are justified, namely the blood of Christ is absolutely exclusive of all Works from an interest in that duty. For whatever looks unto the blood of Christ, for Justification, is faith and nothing else. And as for the calling of it a single act or duty, I refer the Reader unto our preceding discourse about the nature of justifying Faith.
Having asserted this Righteousness of God as the cause and means of our justification before him, in opposition unto all Righteousness of our own; and declared the cause of the communication of it unto us on the part of God, to be meer free Sovereign grace, the means on our part, whereby according unto the ordination of God, we do receive, or are really made partakers of that Righteousness of God whereon we are justified, is by faith; 〈non-Latin alphabet〉; that is by faith alone. Nothing else is proposed, nothing else required ⟨p. 450⟩unto this end. It is replied, that there is no intimation that is by faith alone, or that Faith is asserted to be the means of our Justification exclusively unto other Graces or Works. But there is such an exclusion directly included in the description given of that faith whereby we are justified with respect unto its especial object by faith in his blood. For Faith respecting the blood of Christ, as that whereby propitiation was made for Sin, in which respect alone, the Apostle affirms that we are justified through faith, admits of no association with any other Graces or Duties. Neither is it any part of their nature to fix on the blood of Christ, for Justification before God: wherefore they are all here directly excluded. And those who think otherwise, may try how they can introduce them into this context without an evident corrupting of it, and perverting of its sense. Neither will the other evasion yield our Adversaries the least relief: namely, that by faith not the single grace of Faith is intended, but the whole obedience required in the new Covenant, Faith and Works together. For as all works whatever, as our works, are excluded in the declaration of the causes of our Justification on the part of God 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 freely by his grace, by vertue of that great Rule, Rom. 11.6. If it be of grace, then no more of works, otherwise Grace is no more Grace; so the determination of the object of faith in its act or duty whereon we are justified, namely the blood of Christ is absolutely exclusive of all Works from an interest in that duty. For whatever looks unto the blood of Christ, for Justification, is faith and nothing else. And as for the calling of it a single act or duty, I refer the Reader unto our preceding discourse about the nature of justifying Faith.
