They were uncomfortable with any idea that works could be involved in the application of salvation, and wanted to stress the role of faith. They say that faith is imputed as the believer's justifying righteousness. Justification for them is simply pardon. They agree that faith is simply resting on Christ alone for their salvation. Their answer is to say that Christ won this too on the cross so that the act of faith would carry this justifying virtue.
Faith is accepted as a substitute for a whole and complete righteousness.
Again this scheme avoids the need for the imputed righteousness of Christ. In the 19 th Century Charles Grandison Finney helped to ensure that these ideas were nurtured in his century and in the century to come. And his gospel certainly is another gospel. Again he owes his insights to Jacob Arminius. There has to be holiness prior to justification.