An End of Doctrinal Controversies, Chapter 23
CHAP. XXIII. How Faith justifieth; and how it is imputed to us for Righteousness.
§. 1. ABout this also there are many needless notional Controversies among men that are agreed in the matter it self: As whether Faith justifie as it receiveth Christ in all his mediatorial Office, as Prophet, Priest and King? Or only as in his Priestly Office? And whether, as it receiveth him in all the parts of that Office, or which? Or as it receiveth his Righteousness only? Whether Faith justifie us as an Instrument only? Or as a Condition? Or as meritorious? Whether it justifie us by being it self imputed to us for Righteousness, or it be Christ's righteousness only that is so imputed? Whether Faith alone justifie us, or also Repentance, Desire, Hope, or any other acts of the Soul towards Christ? Whether only Faith in Christ justifie, and not Faith in God the Father, or belief of the Promise, or of Heaven? &c. Of all which briefly.
§. 2. I. The word [Receiving] (Christ, Grace, &c.) hath two different sences necessarily to be distinguished: 1. Physical Receiving is the strict sence, as pati and recipere are all one: Which is, 1. To receive the meer Act of the Agent terminatively; or, 2. To receive a further effect of that Act.
2. Moral receiving is nothing but accepting of an offered thing by consent of Will: And so to receive supposeth an offer, and is nothing but Consent to it.
§. 3. To receive Grace in the strict physical sence, is to be made gracious, or to be the Patients of the Operation of Grace if it be real: But to receive relative Grace physically, is nothing but to be made so related: So to receive Sanctification is to be sanctified, and to receive Justification or Pardon, is nothing but to be justified or pardoned.
§. 4. But how is Christ himself physically received? That were easily known, if you knew how he is physically given. But for a Gift of Christ's person by physical attingency, we can say nothing of it by Scripture-warrant, that I know of: It is no matter for our Disputes. But in two sences Christ is said to be given to us: 1. In Relation, as a King to his Subjects, or a Husband to his Wife: And so we physically receive those Relations, as aforesaid: That is, we are made related to him. 2. In the real Communication of the Spirit of Christ to us: And so we physically receive the Spirit in its operations; that is, He worketh them on us: This is the first sence of Receiving.
§. 4. But morally to receive Grace, or Christ, is but to consent that Grace and Christ be ours: As a Subject, a Servant, a Wife, consent to their Relation; and this is our Faith, and not the former.
§. 5. Where note, That moral Receiving (or Consent) is but a Means of physical Receiving (or Having) and a means which maketh not the thing ours▪ any otherwise, than as the Will of the Giver doth appoint, and give it its Power thereunto. This moral receiving or accepting is but dispositio recipientis, as to having or physical reception; as there must be in all things dispositio materiae ad formam recipiendam: He that will not accept the Gift, is accounted by the Giver morally unfit for it.
§. 6. But this is not spoken of every Gift; but of such as are offered by the Giver on the Condition of thankful acceptance. For God giveth many things absolutely; as Christ was given to be Man's Redeemer, and Christ gave his Covenant, Gospel, and Apostles, and sendeth the word to many that before have it not, and giveth the first Grace, which causeth mens acceptance of the other, and all this not on the Condition of their acceptance: But the Gifts bestowed by the Baptismal Covenant of Grace, are all given on Condition of our moral receiving or acceptance.
§. 7. This necessary distinction of receiving being premised, I answer the question as followeth: 1. To be justified, is to be the physical Receiver of Goa's justifying act, and nothing else in proper sence.
§. 8. 2. No man physically receiveth Christ's Person (as far as we can prove or understand) nor Christ's own Righteousness in it self; but we physically receive our relation to Christ, and the Spirits operations, and our Right to Impunity and Life.
§. 9. 3. We at once sensu physico, receive our relation to Christ as our Head, that is, our redeeming Owner, Ruler and Saviour, or Prophet, as Priest and King; and not to one first, and to another after.
§. 10. 4. In the same instant of time that we receive our relation to Christ, as aforesaid, we receive with him, as his Grace, by the same donative act of the Covenant, our Right to Impunity and Life, even to the complacential special Love of the Father, and the Communion of the Holy Ghost, and so are justified.
§. 11. 5. Our moral receiving of Christ himself as our Saviour, is the antecedent Condition of our foresaid physical reception or participation, being appointed by God to that use or office.
§. 12. 6. This moral receiving is that Faith which I before at large described, and is sometime called Believing, and sometime Trusting, because it is in whole a believing fiducial Consent.
§. 13. 7. This Belief and Consent or Acceptance, hath essentially for its object all that is essential to Christ, as our Saviour; his Natures, Person, his Humiliation, Obedience, his Sacrifice and Resurrection, his Intercession, Dominion, Judgment, together with his Doctrine, Promises, and Grace; besides God himself and the Heavenly Glory: And it is not true Faith that hath not all this, at least confusedly and in some degree.
§. 14. 8. They that say, Faith justifyeth as it receiveth Christ's Righteousness, and not as it receiveth Christ himself in relation, or at least not as Teacher, Lord, Intercessor, &c. do draw men into deceit by a Phrase which intimateth a false supposition, or two, viz. 1. It is false that Faith justifieth us, if they mean efficiently; as shall be shewed anon. But it is true, (though some deny it) that Faith justifyeth constitutively, so far as it is it self our personal inherent Righteousness, (of which after): But this they mean not: Nor is Faith in Christ's righteousness any more our inherent Righteousness than Faith in his Promises, his Intercession or his Government, or in God the Father. 2. It is false, that Faith as Faith doth justifie; either as it is Faith in this or that or the other part of the Office of Christ; for then we should be justified, as they call it, by that …o credere; and then if God had not made Faith the Condition of Justification, yet qua talis it would have justified.
§. 15. 9. But the Case is very plain: There is considerable in Faith, 1. Its Nature, and that is only its material Aptitude to its Office: 2. The Office it self, and that is to be the Condition appointed by God the Donor, of our Interest in his Gifts (and so of Justification). Now it justifieth not efficiently at all (unless you take Justification for making us Holy). But it is the Condition of Justification, and so we are said to be justified by it as by a Condition; but it is not a Condition, qua fides, or as it receiveth Christ's Righteousness, but as it is made by God a Condition in his Covenant. But Faith, as Faith in Christ, is the Matter of this Condition: Or its Aptitude to its Office is in Faith qua talis: And no other had been so fit: But then it is not only our belief or acceptance of Christ's Righteousness that is this Aptitude: Nothing but entire Faith in its essentials is this matter and aptitude, and the formal reason of its place or office about our Justification, is its being the Condition appointed thereto in the Instrument of Donation.
§. 16. 10. Were the Question about physical Receiving, it were true, that a man is justified quatenus, as he receiveth Justification, and adopted as he receiveth Adoption, and sanctified as he receiveth Sanctification, and glorified as he receiveth Glorification, and not something else; as he is rich as he receiveth Riches, and honourable as he receiveth Honour, &c. But moral acceptance of one thing is oft made the Condition of our having another thing; and here our acceptance of whole Christ is our undivided Condition-title to him and his Gifts. We are no more justified for or by consenting to be justified, than for or by consenting to be sanctified, and to learn of Christ, and obey him.
§. 17. Yea more; men use to put that into the Condition of something which the Person fain would have, which he is more backward to, and would not else do or have. A Physician useth not to say, Thou shalt be cured if thou consent to be cured; but if thou consent to take my Medicines and follow my Prescript. A Father will not say to the Child, I will give thee this Apple if thou wilt have it; but if thou wilt thank me for it, and do thy Duty: So if we might make a difference in the reason of the thing, we should say, That God saith not only, Thou shalt have Christ's righteousness, or justification by it, if thou wilt have it; no more than [Thou shalt be saved from Hell if thou wilt] (and who would not be forgiven?) But [thou shalt have Christ and Life, Pardon, Grace and Glory, if thou wilt thankfully take them together as they are, or wilt be taught and ruled by Christ, and renounce the World, the Flesh, and the Devil, and take God and Glory for thy all.]
§. 18. Christ's own righteousness being not essentially given to us in it self, but given for us; and to us in the Effects, to say, That the receiving of that which is not given, is the only justifying act of Faith, is to say, That we are not justified by Faith at all. But if they mean the Effects of Christ's Righteousness, then it is but to say, We are justified by no act of Faith, but by consenting to be justified by Christ's Merits: Which is not true.
§. 19. They contradict themselves that make Christ's Priestly Office the only Object of Justifying Faith, and yet make his whole Righteousness and Merit that Object: For who knoweth not, that all Christ's Righteousness was not performed by him only as Priest.
§. 20. And Christ's Priesthood hath many other actions belonging to it, besides his Merits offered for us: Even his present Intercession: Which must be excluded, if Christ's Righteousness here, as under the Law, were the only Object of this Faith.
§. 21. II. The second Question I had never troubled the World about so much as I have done, had I not found too many Protestants scandalize the Papists, by laying too much on the Nation of Instrumentality, ill explained. But the judicious are here all in sence of the same mind.
§. 22. For by an Instrument they mean not, 1. an instrumental efficient Cause of Justification: 2. Nor of making Christ's Righteousness ours: For we give it not to our selves. 3. But they take the word Instrument mechanically or less accurately, and tell us, that they mean a receiving Instrument, as a Boy *Dr. Kendal.catcheth a Ball in his Hat: But so as that it is a moral Instrument, that is, both materially a moral act, and the Instrument of a moral not physical reception.
§. 23. But when they have all done, they do but entangle and trouble themselves and others with an unapt Logical notion: For (as it is so easie to confute the gross Conceit, That Faith is an instrumental efficient Cause (either God's or Man's) of our Justification; (which I have done so oft, that I will here pretermit it, so) this Notion of a Passive Instrument is unapt, because, 1. The Act of Assent is essential to this justifying Faith, as well as Acceptance; and so is Trust, which yet are no more Instrumental in reception, than many other Acts, even Love, Desire, Hope. 2. Because our Consent to other things, as well as to be justified, and our Faith in God the Father, are as truly the Condition of our Iustification, as our Consent to be justified. 3. And because this Metaphorical use of the Word Instrument, leadeth people to dream of proper Instrumentality, and misleadeth them from the apter Notions: The Covenant-Donation is the justifying Instrument.
§. 24. I conclude therefore summarily, 1. Faith, as Faith in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, in the Sence of the Baptismal Covenant, is the apt Matter to be the Condition of our Justification by the Gift of that Covenant.
2. If Justification be taken for making us just Performers of the Conditions of the Covenant of Grace; so Faith justifieth us, 1. Constitutively initially, as it is the beginning of that Righteousness it self. 2. And by a moral efficiency, as it is a cause of Love and Obedience.
3. If Justification be taken for the Gift, or right to Impunity and Life in and with Christ, so Faith is the Condition of it, and no otherwise justifieth.
4. But if any will call this by the name of a Submerit, with the Ancients, meaning but that it meriteth Justification, as a Child meriteth a piece of Gold from his Father, by putting off his Hat, and saying, I thank you, and humbly taking it, instead of scornful or neglectful refusing it, I will not quarrel with any such.
§. 25. But remember, that as wise men seldom make any thing a Condition of a gift, which hath no worth in it to please them; so God saw, and put such a worth or aptitude in Faith, or else he had not so much as commanded it.
§. 26. But yet a Condition simply as such, signifieth neither Merit nor Causality at all; but only the terms on which the gift shall be suspended, till they be performed: And so the performance of a Condition as such, is no efficien… of the gift, but a removing of the suspending impediment.
§. 27. Therefore Dr. Twisse oft calleth Faith Causam dispositivam justificationis, which belongeth not to the efficient, but material or recipient Cause; and the true Legal Notion of its next Interest in our Justification, is its being [Conditio praestita] and the true Logical Notion is to be [Dispositio moralis materiae, sive subjecti recipientis] call it Causam vel Conditionem dispositivam, as you please: And I think this Question needs no more.
§. 28. III. As to the third Question, the truth is obvious, That Christ's righteousness is imputed, and yet Faith is imputed to us for righteousness in several Sences; that is, each is reputed to be to us what indeed it is. Two things make up the Sence of Faith's being imputed to us for righteousness: 1. Faith is really the Condition of the Covenant of Grace, which whoso performeth, he is righteous against the Charge of Non-performance of that Condition; and it is reputed our subordinate, Evangelical personal, righteousness: 2. And supposing Christ's Merits and our Redemption by him, this Gospel-righteousness is all that is required of us on our parts, instead of all that perfect Obedience which the Law of Innocency required. So that our Faith (taken in the Scripture-sence) is our real righteousness related to the Condition of the New Covenant, and instead of a more perfect righteousness of Innocency; forasmuch as after Christ's Redemption, is required to be performed by our selves.
§. 29. This, no Christians that are sober, can deny, as to the thing: And as to the Name, it is plain to the impartial that will see that Paul, Rom. 4. 22, 23, 24. and Iam. 2. 23. by Faith means Faith it self indeed, and not only Christ the Object of Faith, as some affirm, with too great Scandal: read over the Texts, and try what Sence it will be, if you put [Christ] instead of [Faith.]▪
§. 30. Obj. But it is not Faith in, and of it self that's meant, but as connoting the Object.
Ans. The latter clause is true: it is Faith, as connoting the Object, Christ: But the former is a contradiction. For Faith it self essentially connoteth the Object: If you speak not of Faith in genere (for it is not any kind of Faith that is our righteousness) but of the Christian, or New Covenant Faith in specie, who knoweth not that the Object specifieth it? And therefore if it be Christian faith, as connoting the Object, it is Christian faith as Christian faith.
§. 31. But will any sober Christian deny, that …ur righteousness in one sence, and Faith …inate … in another, and that both are accord…ed to us? How fain would some men differ, if they could, or seem to do it, when they do not?
§. 32. IV. As to the fourth Question, I answer, 1. We are all agreed, That God will not pardon, justifie, or save any, without both Faith and Repentance, and Desire, as necessary moral Qualifications of the Receiver: And this shall serve turn, if any like not the term [Condition] and be willing to be quiet.
§. 33. 2. Faith in a narrow Sence, as signifying meer Assent, is distinct from Repentance; but Faith in that sence as is meant in Baptism, and hath the Promise of Justification and Life, is more the same with Repentance than many perceive. For Repentance is the change of the mind from evil to good? And the Good necessary to our Salvation, is a fiducial practical Consent to the Covenant of Grace, or a practical Faith in God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost: And to turn to this, is to repent and be converted; even to turn from the contrary Acts and Objects to this fiducial consenting Belief in God the Father, Son, and Spirit; and what else is repenting, but this Change?
§. 34. 3. It was never Paul's meaning, under the name of Works, to exclude Repentance, and all Acts of Faith, save one, and Thankfulness, and Desire, and Hope, and Prayer, &c. while they keep their place in subordination to Christ: They do but confound sacred Doctrines and mens minds, that so imagine.
§. 35. And the same Spirit that saith, He that believeth, shall be saved, saith also, He that calleth duplicate page duplicate page on the Name of the Lord, shall be saved, Rom. 10. 13. And we are saved by Hope, Rom. 8. 24. and we are saved by the washing Act. 12. 21.of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost, Tit. 3. 5, 6. and by believing the Articles of the Creed, 1 Cor. 15. 2. and blessed are they that kee… his Commandments, that they may have right to the Tree of Life (that right is our righteousness) and may enter in, &c. Rev. 22. 14. By taking heed to himself and to Doctrine, Timothy was to save himself and his Hearers, 1 Tim. 4. 16. Many such Texts I have elsewhere cited, which are all true.
§. 36. V. As to the fifth Question, it is answered before in the Description of Faith: As the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, are one God, so Faith in them is, one Faith; and no man can truly believe in Christ, that believeth not in the Father; our belief in God, as God, and Love to him, is that Salvation to which Christ is to bring us: And the Consent to use the remedy, includeth the consent to have Health or to be saved: And our Belief in God, as our Redeemer, even Christ, is the chief part of our mediate Faith: In a word; all that Belief which is necessary to the Baptized, is necessary to our Iustification: But that is our Belief in Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (in the measure that they are revealed.)