A declaration of the faith and order owned and practised in the Congregational Churches in England; agreed upon and consented unto by their elders and messengers. Licensed and entred according to order.

CHAP. XI. Of Justification.

THose whom God effectually call∣eth, he also freely justifieth, not by infusing righteousness into them, but by pardoning their sins, and by accoun∣ting and accepting their persons as righ∣teous, not for any thing wrought in them, or done by them, but for Christs sake alone; nor by imputing Faith it self, the act of believing, or any other Evangelical obedience to them, as their righteousness, but by imputing Christs active obedience unto the whole law▪ and passive Obedience in his death for their whole and sole Righteousness, they re∣ceiving and resting on him and his

Righteousness by Faith; which Faith they have not of themselves, it is the gift of God.

II.

Faith thus receiving and resting on Christ, and his Righteousness, is the alone Instrument of Justification; yet it is not alone in the Person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other sa∣ving Graces, and is no dead Faith, but worketh by Love.

III.

Christ by his Obedience and Death did fully discharge the Debt of all those that are justified, and did by the Sacri∣fice of himself, in the Blood of his Cross, undergoing in their stead the pe∣nalty due unto them, make a proper, real, and full Satisfaction to Gods Ju∣stice in their behalf: Yet in as much as he was given by the Father for them, and his Obedience and Satisfaction ac∣cepted

in their stead, and both freely, not for any thing in them, their Justi∣fication is only of Free Grace, that both the exact Justice and rich Grace of God might be glorified in the Justifi∣cation of Sinners.

IV.

God did from all eternity decree to justifie all the Elect, and Christ did in the fulness of time Dye for their Sins, and rise again for their Justification: Nevertheless, they are not justified per∣sonally, until the Holy Spirit doth in due time actually apply Christ unto them.

V.

God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified; and al∣though they can never fall from the state of Justification, yet they may by their Sins fall under Gods fatherly dis∣pleasure:

and in that Condition they have not usually the Light of his Coun∣tenance restored unto them, until they humble themselves, confess their Sins, beg Pardon, and renew their Faith and Repentance.

VI.

The Justification of Believers under the Old Testament, was in all these re∣spects one and the same with the Justi∣fication of Believers under the New Testament.