Apology Against the Exceptions of Black and Kendall, Section Baxter 25 – Section Blake 27
§. 25.
R. B. 1. HAd you firſt proved any ſuch honour due to faith, and ſo to man, as to be the inſtrument of Juſtification, yea and more fitly then the Goſpel, ſo to be called, then you might fairly have thus concluded. But I like not Arguments that have but one part, being all Concluſion. I will ſay more for the Goſpels inſtrumentality. Signum voluntatis Donatoris conſtituens jus ad beneficium Donatum (etſi in diem vel ſub conditione) eſt Donatoris inſtrumentum maximè proprium: Sed Teſtamentum Chriſti eſt ſignum voluntatis divi… jus noſtrum ad Chriſtum & Juſtificationem paſſivam conſtituens, (viz. ſub conditione, & actualiter quando praeſtatur conditio:) Ergo Teſtamentum Chriſti eſt inſtrumentum hujus donationis, maximè proprium. For the major, examine it by all the qualifications of an inſtrument, and it will appear undoubted. 1. Subſervit cauſae principali, ſcilicet voluntati donatoris. 2. Actio ejus & principalis ſunt eadem actio: ſcilicet Donatio, vel conſtituere debitum beneficii. 3. The true definition of an inſtrument agrees to it: Inſtrumentum eſt quod ex directione alterius principalis agentis influit ad produceudum effectum ſe nobiliorem: Vel, per quod cauſa alia operatur, ſic, ut hoc elevetur ad effectum ſe nobiliorem, ſeu ultra perfectionem & ſuam & actionis ſuae. 4. Yea it is the moſt perfect inſtrument; for inſtrumentum eo melius eſt quanto magis eſt fini proportionatum: ut Aquin. 1.2 ae. q. 188. a. 7. But Gods Legal grant is moſt perfectly proportioned to the conveyance of right to Chriſt, and his benefits. Prove this much of faith, as to Juſtification, before you again tell the world that faith is more fitly called an inſtrument of Juſtification.
2. If the Goſpel received by faith be a plenary inſtrument of juſtifying, as you ſay: Then 1. How is faith more fitly called an inſtrument? 2. Then Recipere Evangelium is inſtrumentum juſtificandi maximè proprium (as you think) making the Goſpel a compleat inſtrument.
3. If faith and the Goſpel be both full compleat inſtruments, then either ejuſdem effecti per eandem actionem, vel per diverſas: not per eandem actionem, For 1. Then they ſhould be one inſtrument. 2. Their eſſe is ſo different that their operari muſt needs be different. 2. If per diverſas actiones, then coordinate or ſubordinate: You think ſubordinate, it ſeems, and that faith gives power and efficacy to the Goſpel; If ſo, then faith doth modo & ſenſu nobiliore Juſtificare quam Teſtamentum. But thats farre from truth: For 1. It is moſt proper to ſay, The Covenant-grant juſtifieth: or the Law of grace juſtifieth; but it is leſs proper to ſay, Faith juſtifieth: and Scripture never ſaith ſo that I know of; but that we are juſtified by faith. 2. You ſay your ſelf that faith is but a paſſive inſtrument: but the Teſtament is active, (morally in its kinde.) 3. Recipere Evangelium is not ſo properly Juſtificare, as is immediate Juſtificare, Remittere, Jus ad Chriſtum & remiſſionem conſtituere, which is the Goſpels act. Credere non eſt tam propriè Justificare. Much more might be ſaid of this, if neceſſary.
4. How plain a contradiction do you ſpeak, that faith and the Goſpel are two inſtruments: and that both make one compleat inſtrument. They might have been ſaid to be materially two things, making one inſtrument without contradiction; but not without notorious untruth.
5. For it is no better when you ſay, they make up one compleat inſtrument. For 1. You ſaid before that faith gives power and efficacy to the Goſpel: which if true, then the Goſpel is an inſtrument ſubordinate to faith, and therefore not one with it. 2. The Goſpel is cauſa totalis in ſuo genere, fully as an inſtrument conveying right, quando vel venit dies, vel praeſtatur conditio: therefore it is not cauſa partialis, vel pars cauſae. 3. There is ſuch a diſparity in the actions of each, viz. Credere, and Remittere vel donare Chriſtum & Remiſſionem, that they cannot poſſibly as cauſae partiales, conſtitute one compleat cauſe: For one immediatly and properly produceth the effect: the other not ſo. 4. You ſay, that they are both paſſive inſtruments: But ſo they cannot make one inſtrument: For ſurely nec patiuntur idem, nec ab eodem; nec formam Juſtificationis Evangelium patiendo recipit. Though indeed your authority muſt do more then your reaſons, to prove it of either.
6. If …aith be more aptly and fitly (as you ſpeak) called, an inſtrument, then it is a properer ſpeech to …ay, Faith, or m…n by faith, forgiveth ſins; then that The Covenant-grant or Condonation, or act of pardon doth forgive them. Se… Abſit!
7. When you have well proved that repeated dangerous aſſertion, [That faith gives efficacy as an inſtrument to the Word;] you may next take the boldneſs to ſpeak out its conſequents, and ſay, Gods Word is the Believers word…: the Beleever enableth Gods Law of grace to forgive him: The Law of grace is defective in power, till the Beleever perfect it: Credere non eſt actu… ſubditi, vel Legatar…, ſed Rectoris, Judi…is, & Teſtatoris▪ Ergo Homo habet authoritatem ſeipſum Juſtificandi, & ſibi ipſi condo…andi, & credendo hanc exc…et authoritatem.
8. Your ſtrange proof is oft anſwered. What though the Word without faith is no inſtrument? Doth it follow that therefore either faith makes it an in…trument, or is an inſtrument it ſelf? The King grants an Act of Oblivion or Pardon to a thouſand Traytors, on condition that by ſuch a day they come and ſeek and thankfully accept it: Doth their ſeeking or thankfull Acceptance,: give power and efficacy as an inſtrument to the Kings Pardon? Or are the Pardon and Acceptance one compleat inſtrument? Or is it more fit to call the Traytors Acceptance, the inſtrument of his Pardon, then the Kings Act? Credat qui credere potis eſt.
Twiſſe ſaith, An audebit Arminianus aliquis affirmare Remiſſionem pec…torum eſse effectionem fidei? tametſi niſi credentibus contingat iſta Remiſſio. Dices, fidem ſaltem praerequiſitum quiddam eſse ad Remiſſionem peccatorum conſequendum. Eſto▪ atque hac ratione dicatur effectio fidei, ſed …u genere tantum cauſae dispuſitivae. Twiſſ. Vin…. Grat. l. 1. part. 2. §. 25. p. mihi 273. So he oft: ſaith both of Faith and Works, that they juſtifie only ut cauſae dispoſitivae: and therefore in one kinde of cauſality; and not as inſtruments properly ſo called.
§. 26.
Mr Bl. THerefore to winde up this whole Diſpute in which I have studied to be brief, (though I fear ſome will think I have been too tedious:) ſeeing that thoſe that make faith the inſtrument in Juſtification, make the Goſpel an inſtrument likewiſe, and dare not go about to ſtrip it of its honour: I hope that they that make the Gospel an inſtrument, will acknowledge faith to be an inſtrument in like manner, being in their efficacy as inſtruments ſo inſeparably joyned, and ſo all the Controverſie will be fairly ended and concluded. Amen.
§. 27.
R. B. 1. IF this be a Diſpute, I am none of thoſe that think it too long: I ſcarce finde a line in many Pages: It is in my eyes ſo ſhort, that it ſeems as nothing.
2. Your motion for deciſion will take, when man is proved to be God: then mans act of Beleeving may fairly ſhare of the ſame honour with Gods act of Legal forgiving: And yet then I ſhall demurre on the preferring it: But till then, I love Peace and Unity, but not on ſuch a compromiſing, as to ſhare the honour of the Redeemer with the redeemed, of the Creator with the creature, of the Sovereign pardoning, with the Traytor pardoned.
3. I like Amen better then Ergo: and Herberts transformation I much applau… but not the ſubſtitution of Amen, for a neceſſary Ergo. This …imium … diſputandi genus, that can prove all with a word; an ipſe dico, and wipe off all that is oppoſed with a wet finger, I never liked. I muſt next take in what you adde afterwards.
§. 27. Mr Bl. Pag. 91.
Obj. JT is ſaid by another, If faith be a condition of the Covenant of Grace, then it can be no inſtrument of our Juſtification: If it be a condition in this Covenant, it juſtifies as a condition, and then it cannot juſtifie as an inſtrument, and ſo I pull down what I build, and run upon contradictions.
Anſw. I anſwer, I ſhould rather judge on the contrary, that becauſe it is a condition of the Covenant in the way as it is before expreſ…, that it is therefore an inſtrument in our Juſtification. God …enders the gift of righteouſneſs to be received by faith▪ He Covenants for this faith; for acceptation of it: By beleeving the… we keep Covenant and receive Christ for Juſtification; we as well do what God requires, as receive what he tenders; we do our duty, and take Gods gift; and thereby keep Covenant, and receive life, and ſo faith is both a condition and an inſtrument.