Catholic Theology Plain Pure Peaceable, Section 12 – Section 14
SECT. XII. How Repentance is joyned with Faith.
201. Repentance is a Diſpoſitio materiae recipientis too, and a part of the condition of the Covenant: And ſo far a Material or diſpoſitive Receiving Cauſe: But not an Acceptance of the Gift formally, in its averting act.
202. Faith and Repentance are words uſed in Scripture in divers ſignifications. Saith Malderus, Gu. Ameſius a parte recedit ab antiquo Calviniſmo, quiae requirit ad juſtitiam bonae oper… tanquam conditionem praerequiſitam, quod …tiam extendit ad ipſam …lectionem.] See here how little the Papiſts underſtand us.As Faith is ſometimes taken for bare Aſſent, as Jam. 2. and uſually for Affiance or Truſt, and always when it denominateth a Chriſtian or Juſtified Believer as ſuch, it eſſentially includeth all the three parts, Aſſent, Conſent, and Affiance, but yet denominateth the whole by a word which principally ſignifieth One act (which commonly is Affiance as including the other two); ſo Repentance is ſometime taken comprehenſively for the whole Converſion of a Sinner to God, the Father, Son and Holy Ghoſt; and ſo it includeth Faith in the narrower ſence, and is the ſame thing as Faith in the larger ſence, but expreſs'd under another formal notion. Sometimes it is taken more narrowly, and that 1. As to the Act. 2. As to the Object.
1. As to the Act; and ſo the word Repentance ſignifieth only the Averſion of the Soul from evil, by ſorrow and change of mind: And this is the ſtrict formal notion of the word, though uſually it be taken more largely, as including alſo the Converſion of the Soul to Good; which is the uſual Scripture and Theological ſenſe; though the word it ſelf do chiefly ſignifie the Averting act.
2. As to the Object, 1. Repentance ſometime ſignifieth the Turning of the Soul from Sin and Idols to God as God; And ſo Repentance towards God, is diſtinguiſhed from Faith towards our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. 2. And ſometimes it ſignifieth only the turning of the Soul and life from ſome particular Sin.
203. Repentance as it is the turning of the Soul from ſin and Idols * The Papiſts take Repentance it ſelf to be part of the Remiſſion of Sins: And let the Reader note, for the fuller opening of what I have ſaid of their darkneſs thereabouts, that Janſenius Aug. To. 1. li. 5. c. 22. p. 126. maketh four things to be inſeparably conteined in Remiſſion, though diſtinguiſhable. 1. The Converſion of the Soul to God. 2. The abſterſion of the Macula or filth. 3. Reconciliation or the remiſſion of Gods offence. 4. The relaxation of the aeternal puniſhment: That all theſe are then at once given us, we are all agreed: But whether the name Remiſſion or Pardon of ſin …e meet for them all we diſagree. Is it not viſible then how unhappily we ſtrive about words, whe… we talk like men of ſeveral Languages. But all is but removation and remitting the penalty of which Gods offenſe is the firſt part. And Macula is either the ſin it ſelf, or the relative conſequents.to God, is the ſame with Faith in God in the large Covenant-ſence, and includeth Faith in God in the narrower ſence. Repentance as it is our Turning from Infidelity to Chriſtianity is the ſame with Faith in Chriſt in the large Covenant-ſaving-ſence, and includeth Faith in Chriſt in the narrower ſence (as it is meer Aſſent). Repentance as it is a Turning from the Fleſh to the Holy Ghost as our Sanctifyer, is the ſame thing as our Faith in the Holy Ghoſt in the large Covenant ſence, and includeth Faith in the Holy Ghoſt in the narrower ſence. But when they are the ſame thing, the ratio nominis or formal notion is not the ſame. As man's mind is not ſo happy as to conceive of all things that are one by one entire ſingle Conception; ſo we are not ſo happy in our language, as to have words enough to expreſs things entirely by one name; but we muſt have ſeveral words to expreſs our inadequate conceptions by. And ſo that is called Repentance as the Souls motion from the Terminus a quo, which is called ſometimes Faith or Affiance, and ſometimes Love, from the motion of the Soul to the Terminus ad quem, though the Motus be the ſame. But when Faith and Repentance are diſtinguiſhed as ſeveral parts of the Condition of the new Covenant, the common ſence is, that Repentance ſignifieth the Converſion of the Soul from Sin and Idols to God as God, which is, or includeth Faith in God: And Faith ſignifieth ſpecially Faith in Christ as the Mediator and way to God; And ſo Faith is below Repentance, as a means of it.
204. By this the queſtion whether Faith or Repentance be firſt, may partly be reſolved, and partly cast out as founded in confuſion. As they are both one thing, neither can be firſt, any otherwiſe than the ſame Motus ut a termino a quo, & ut ad terminum ad quem. But as they ſignifie divers things, they have each of them div…r… acts, and in reſpect of each, are before each other. The Aſſenting act of Faith in general muſt needs be always before Repentance, as it is an Act of the Will. But the conſenting Act of faith is alſo part of Repentance, and muſt folow that part of Repentance which is a change of the underſtanding. But whether the Repentance as towards God, or Faith in Chriſt be firſt, or Love to God, and Faith in Chriſt, I have diſcuſſed as accurately as I can, in my Christian Directory, Par, 1. cap. 3. pag. 182. and therefore thither refer the Reader.
205. And how Faith and Love differ I have there alſo opened, and therefore ſhall now only ſay, that Faith as it ſignifieth meet How Faith and Love differ.Aſſent, differeth from Love, as the act of the Intellect, from Volition: And Love formally taken preſuppoſeth the Aſſent, and doth not contain it. But Faith taken largely in the ſence of the Baptiſmal Covenant, containeth in it Conſent, which is the Wills Volition, and therefore muſt needs have ſome initial Love in it as it acteth i… Deſire. This Faith in God hath ſome Deſire and Volition of God, and Faith in Chriſt, which is the Souls Practical Affiance in him, hath ſome Love to Chriſt in it. But the denomination is not from the ſame ratio formalis in each. It is eminently called Faith, when giving up our Souls to Chriſt to be ſaved in practical Affiance is the great work of the Soul, though it have ſomething of Love eſſential to it. And it is eminently called Love (morally) when the Complacency of the Soul in Chriſt thus truſted, and in God our end, is the great work or buſineſs of the Soul.
206. This Holy Love as a fixed habit and employment of the Soul, and our Relation to the Holy Ghoſt to work it in us, is it that is promiſed and Given quoad jus in the Baptiſmal Covenant, of which Faith, though it have ſomewhat of actual Love or Volition in it, is the antecedent condition, which alſo I have ſo fully opened as afore cited, that I refer the Reader to it for this alſo. And ſomewhat was ſaid of it before.
SECT. XIII. Of the degrees of Pardon or Juſtification.
207. Some men leſt they ſhould yield that Juſtification is not one perfect finiſhed act done but once, do feign that it is only the firſt act of Faith by which a man is juſtified. Indeed it is only the firſt act by which he …s changed from an unrighteous to a righteous ſtate: But to think that therefore we are never after juſtified by Faith, and ſo have no actually juſtifying Faith all our lives, but for one inſtant only, is fitter for a Dreamer than a theological Diſcourſer.
208. Our firſt conſtitutive Juſtification, being in its nature a right to …mpunity, and to Life or Glory, *… tells us, that … which … by Rege…ra … and Juſt … on: …u… what they mean by R…niſſion they cannot tell themſelves, as a …oreſaid: Pardon of the gu… they mean not, or elſe they mean ſeveral things in one word.is a Relation which muſt be continued to the end, and therefore muſt have the true cauſes and condition continued, and would ceaſe if any of them ceaſed.
209. As to the queſtion therefore whether Juſtification be loſſable, and …ardon reverſible, I anſwer, that the grant of them in the Covenant is unalterable; But mans will in it ſelf is mutable, and if he ſhould ceaſe believing by Apoſtacy, and the condition fail, he would loſe his Right, and be unjuſtified and unpardoned, without any change in God. But that a man doth not ſo de facto is to be aſcribed to Election and ſpecial Grace, of which afterward.
210. Though all our paſt ſins are pardoned at our firſt Faith or Converſion (or as the Ancients ſpeak in Baptiſm) yet it is moſt certain that Pardon or Juſtification is not perfect at firſt, no nor on this ſide death: And the ſaying of many that Juſtification is perfect at first, and Sanctification only by degrees, is a palpable error, as I have elſe-where oft ſhewed. For that is not perfect, 1. Which is not continued and brought on to its end, but upon continued conditions, and diligent uſe of means to the …aſt. *Ne que enim peccati ſui veniam impetravit Adam, ut a morte temporali, immunis eſſet. Twiſſ. contr. Corvin. pag. 343. col. 2.2. Which leaveth many penalties unremoved, which have further means to be uſed for their removal, and further Right to it to be obtained: To have more and more Grace, and leſs and leſs Sin; and to have …earer communion with God, are bleſſings as to the degrees, which we muſt by degrees attain a further Right to, and the privation of them are …ore penalties to be removed. 3. We have new ſins to be pardoned every day. 4. Our remaining Corruption is ſuch as needeth a continued Pardon, till it be perfectly done away. 5. The Day of Judgment is not come, for which the moſt perfect Juſtification is reſerved.
SECT. XIV. Of Juſtification by Sentence of the Judge.
211. The ſecond ſort of Juſtification, which is by Sentence, is done by Chriſt as Judge, and ſo is an act of his Kingly Office.
212. Therefore were it true (as it is not) that juſtifying Faith were only the receiving or believing in Chriſt as a Juſtifier of us, it would not be a believing in him in his Prieſtly Office only but in act: For he merited our Juſtification as a humbled Servant, and a Sacrifice: He giveth it us in Right by his Covenant or Law of Grace as King and Benefactor: He promulgateth it as Prophet; He paſſeth the Sentences as King and Judge; He executively taketh off the penalty, and glorifieth us as King and Benefactor. There is no Juſtification by a partial Faith.
213. Though the eſtimation of a man as juſt, called the Sententi… judicis concepta, as diſtinct from the ſententia prolata, be ſaid to be … immanet act of God, and therefore from eternity, yet it is a miſtake: For though it be not tranſient effectivè and do nihil efficere ad extra, ye… it is tranſient objectivè, and doth preſuppoſe the exiſtence of the qualified Object: For though Gods Knowledge and Will in genere, or as ſuch, are his eternal Eſſence, yet Gods Knowledge and Love of John or Peter … Believers, are terms which ſignifie not his Eſſence as ſuch, but as tranſ… and terminated on thoſe exiſtent perſons relatively: So that the extrin…cal denomination from the exiſtent Object is temporary as it is.
214. As the Angels rejoyce at a Sinners Converſion, and therefo… know it, ſo the notifying of Gods acceptance and pardon to the Angel…, may be called ſome ſort of ſentential Juſtification.
215. And the notifying our constitutive Righteouſneſs to our Conſciences, is ſome kind of ſentential Juſtification.
216. But this Juſtification called in foro conſcientiae is not the Juſtification by Faith ſo much ſpoken of in Scripture: For that ever goe… before this. A man is ever made juſt, before he can be eſteemed, judged, or known to be ſo. And this in conſcience is an uncertain m… ble thing, according to the weakneſs of the man: And oft he that … juſt before God, doth moſt doubt of it, and condemn himſelf: This juſtification may ceaſe when we ſleep or think of other things; and may riſe and fall daily, if not be often loſt. And it is not of that grand importance to our Salvation, as juſtification by Faith is.1 Cor. 4. 4.