A brief discourse of justification. Wherein this doctrine is plainly laid down according to…

3. That Justification is properly one entire and perfect act, and therefore must needs flow from an entire and perfect principle. My meaning is, that it must proceed from the whole case as it is taken together, and not separately Justification doth not divide, and say thus far the man is righteous, only herein he […] something defective; but it lays the whole ⟨p. 21⟩state of the case together, and in one single sentence it saith, either that the man is righteous, or that he is unrighteous. It is not to be denied that in the sentence past for Execution, there is respect had to the offence, and according as it is aggravated, accordingly the doom is more moderate or more severe, so that there are different degrees of punishment; but as to the mans state, upon the cognizance taken of the whole, he is always either acquitted or condemned; if acquitted he is throughly absolved from the Law, if condemned, the Law takes hold of him: Here then it is to be observed as a necessary conclusion, that Justification requires the whole case to be good, whereas unto Condemnation, one Article proved against him is sufficient, as Jam 2. 10. forecited; and the reason is, because Justification is of the person who exposeth himself to the Law by one delinquency.

3. That Justification is properly one entire and perfect act, and therefore must needs flow from an entire and perfect principle. My meaning is, that it must proceed from the whole case as it is taken together, and not separately Justification doth not divide, and say thus far the man is righteous, only herein he 〈…〉 something defective; but it layes the whole ⟨p. 21⟩state of the case together, and in one single sentence it saith, either that the man is righteous, or that he is unrighteous. It is not to be denied that in the sentence past for Execution, there is respect had to the offence, and according as it is aggravated, accordingly the doom is more moderate or more severe, so that there are different degrees of punishment; but as to the mans state, upon the cognizance taken of the whole, he is alwayes either acquitted or condemned; if acquitted he is throughly absolved from the Law, if condemned, the Law takes hold of him: Here then it is to be observed as a necessary conclusion, that Justification requires the whole case to be good, whereas unto Condemnation, one Article proved against him is sufficient, as Jam 2. 10. forecited; and the reason is, because Justification is of the person who exposeth himself to the Law by one delinquency.