The Life of Justification Opened, Chapter 28
CHAP. XXVIII.
How faith is and may be called an Instrument, in Justification.
COncerning the Instrumentality of faith in Justification, much needeth not be said, howbeit too much hath been written, about it & that to very little edification; so I judge: I am sure, to little use, as to the clearing up of that concerning pointe of Justification, & the true interest of Faith therein.
We heard, in the beginning of the proceeding Chapter, how both Socinians & Arminians did disowne faith its being an Instrument, and Papists also before them did plead against it: On the other hand, the orthodox, writting against Papists, Socinians, & Arminians, did unanimously assert Faith to be an Instrument, or to be considered as an Instrument, in the matter of Justification. And few, or none, can be instanced of those, who hold with the orthodox, in all chiefe Controversies, about Justification, that did impugne, or so much as deny Faith to be an Instrument, in justification; Yea Iohn Goodwine, in his book of justification, doth expresly call it an Instrument in justification.
It is true, the Scripture no where calleth faith an instrument; & the same being no Scripture expression, there needeth not be much strife about it, nor will there be, among such, as are unanimous, in the maine & principal Questions about Justification; or to that, which is only designed & intended by that expression. And though the Scripture doth not use that expression, interminis, yet no man can hence inferre, that all use of it, and of the like should be laid aside, nor can such be supposed to adde to the Scripture, (as Mr. Baxter hinteth. Apol. against Mr. Blake p. 40.) who call Faith an Instrument; more then he can suppose that himself addeth to the Scripture, when he calleth faith a Condition, or a causa sine qua non, for these are as little to be found expresly, in the Scriptures, as the other. Nor do they, who say Faith is an Instrument, so much plead for the name, as for the thing intended thereby: All expressions, that are not in Scripture, must not be laid aside, in our speaking of divine things▪ for then we must lay aside the word Trinity, Sacrament, Satisfaction & several others: far less must the truth, which we conceive can be intelligibly & usefully expressed by those borrowed words and termes, be laid aside, because the terme itself, by which we express our Conceptions of the truth, is not in so many letters & syllabs to be found in Scripture, if so indeed, we had quickly lost a fundamental point of our Religion, and yeelded the cause unto the Socinians. If the Scripture may be explained, we may make use of such expressions, termes & sentences, as will, according to their usual acceptation, contribute to make the truthes revealed in Scripture intelligible to such, as heare us. And when some termes have been innocently used in Theologie, for explication of truthes, whether to the more learned, or to the more unlearned, & have p… ssed among the orthodox without controll, or contradiction, beyond the ordinary time of prescriptions; it cannot but give ground of suspicion for any, now to remove these old Land-marks, especially when it is attempted to be done, by such meanes & arguments, as will equally enforce a rejection of many Scriptural expressions: for should all the Metaphorical expressions & sentences, which are in …ature, be so canvassed, & rejected, because every thing agreeing properly to them when used, in their own native soile, doth not quadrate with them, as used in the Scriptures, in things divine, where should we Land? If these divine mysteries had been expressed to us only in termes, adequatly corresponding with & suiting the matter; how should we have understood the same? Therefore we finde the Lord condescending in the Scriptures, to our low Capacities, and expressing sublime & high mysteries, by low & borrowed expressions, to the end, we might be in case to understand so much thereof, as may prove, through the Lord's blessing, saving unto us: And thereby hath allowed such, as would explaine these matters unto the capacity of others, to use such ordinary expressions, as may contribute some light & understanding to them, in the truthes themselves.
Now when the orthodox have, according to their allowed liberty, made use of the word Instrument, in this matter, and maintained that Faith was, & was nothing more then an Instrument, in Justification; it is not faire to reject it altogether, because improper, though fit enough to signifie what they did intend thereby; & because all the properties, that agree to proper Physical, or artificial Instruments, do not agree to it; and because if the same be strickly examined, according to the rules of Philosophie, concerning Instrumental Causes, it will be found to differ from them. Mr. Baxter himself, writting against D. Kendal. §. 47. tels us, that the thing; which he denieth, is, that Faith is an Instrument, in the strick logical sense, that is, an Instrumental efficient cause of our Iustification; & that he expresly discla…meth contending de nomine, or contradicting any, that only use the word instrument, in an improper large sense, as Mechanicks & Rhetoricians do: So that the question (saith he), is de re, Whether it efficiently cause our Iustification, as an Instrument? But it may be conceived to have some efficient Influence, in our Justification, not as that is taken simply & strickly for God's act justifying, but as taken largely, comprehending the whole benefite: as activly coming from God, & as Passively received by or terminated on us, & that as an Instrument, though not in that proper sense, that Logicians, or Metaphysicians take Instrumental causes, and explaine them, in order to physical & natural Effects. We know, that Justification is a supernatural work & effect; and therefore, though in explaining of it in its Causes, we may make use of such termes, as are used about the expressing of the Causes of Natural, or Artificial Works & Effects; yet no Law can force us, to understand by these borrowed expressions, the same proper, & Formal Efficacy, Efficiency and influence, which is imported by these Expressions, when used about Natural Causes & Effects.
But Mr. Baxter against Mr. Blake §. 5. tels us, what great reasons he had to move him to quarrel with this calling of faith an Instrument viz. he found that many learned divines did not only assert this Instrumentality, but they laid so great a stress upon it, as if the maine difference betwixt us & the Papists lay here, And yet any might think, that they had reason so to do, when Papist's on the other hand, laid as great stresse upon the denying of Faiths Instrumentality. He tels us moreover, that our divines judged Papists to erre in Justification fundamentally, in these points 1. about the formal Cause, which is the formal Righteousness of Christ, as suffering & perfectly obeying for us. 2. About the way of our participation herein, which as to God's act is Imputation, & that in this sense, that legaliter we are esteemed to have fulfilled the Law in Christ. 3. About the nature of that faith, which justifieth. 4. About the formal reason of faiths interest in justification, which is as the Instrument thereof. I doubt not (saith Mr. Baxter) but all these four are great errors. But we neither may, nor can call all errors, which Mr. Baxter calleth errors. We have seen above how necessary truthes the two first are, and have explained, in part, the third, wherein I confesse, too many (yet not all) of the forraigne divines have, as to expression, missed the explication of true Justifying faith & it may be, it was not their designe to describe it so, as it might agree to the faith of every sincere, though weak beleever: but rather to shew its true nature, grounds & tendency, when at its best; & yet what Papists hold, on the contrare, is more false & absurd. But as to this fourth, it seemes, that it hath a necessary dependance upon the foregoing; and this to me seemes to be the maine reason, why our Divines did owne & plead for Faiths Instrumentality, in the matter of Justification, viz. because the Righteousness, which they called the Formal, or others the Material Cause thereof, was not any Righteousness inherent in us, as Papists said; but the Surety-Righteousness of the Cautioner Christ, without us: And therefore they behoved to look on Faith, in this matter, otherwayes then Papists did, and not account it a part of our Formal Righteousness, but only look upon it, as an hand to lay hold on & bring-in the Surety-Righteousness of Jesus Christ; and therefore judged it most fit to call it only an Instrumental Cause. And how ever Mr. Baxter exaggerat this matter, as complying with Papist's in condemning us, as to all these controversies, and think it no wonder, they judge the whole Protestant cause naught, because we erre in these, and yet make this the maine pairt of the Protestant cause; yet we must not be scarred from these truthes; Yea, because this point hath such a connexion with the other, concerning that Righteousness, upon the account of which we are to be Justified in the sight of God, we are called to contend also for this, & that so much the rather, that, though Papist's do utterly mistake the Nature of Justification, and confound it with Sanctification; yet Mr. Baxter hath more rational apprehensions there about, and yet will not have Christ's Righteousness to be that Formal Righteousness, upon the account of which we are Justified.
Yet notwithstanding, we need not owne it for such an Instrument, or such an Instrumental cause, as Philosophers largely treate of, in the Logicks & Metaphysicks, knowing that the Effect here wrought is no Natural Effect, brought about by Natural Efficient & Instrumental Causes; Only we say, the Scripture affirming, that we are justified foreign & foreign, giveth us ground to call Faith (if we will use such termes, to expresse our mind) an Instrument, seing these expressions pointe forth, some special interest & influence, that Faith hath in Justification, & no other Influence or Causation can be allowed to it, conforme to the Scriptures; but that, which, we express in our ordinary discourse, not in a strick Philosophical sense, by an Instrument. And that so much the rather, that hereby is pointed forth that, which is the maine ground & designe of using this terme, viz. the Application of the Righteousness of Christ, which is made by Faith, as a meane or mid's laying hold upon without which we cannot be Justified, according to the Gospel; And though in these borrowed expressions from Causes, metaphysical accuracy be not intended, yet the true meaning & intendment of the users of these termes being obvious, it is but vanity, to raise too much dust thereabout; unless difference about other more Principal Questions, in the matter of Justification, enforce it, as indeed all such as place the Formal Cause or reason of our justification before God in our own Inherent Righteousness, and not in the Righteousness of Christ imputed to us & received by faith, must of necessity deny all interest of faith here, as an Instrument, or as any thing like it; because, having all their Righteousness within them, they have no use for Faith to lay hold-on & bring-in one from without.
There things may satisfie us, as grounds of this Denomination.
1. That in justification, we are said to be receivers, & do receive something from the Lord; not only the Passive justification itself expressed by our being justified, but of some thing in order thereunto, as of Christ himself, the Abundance of Grace & of the Gift of Righteousness, the atonement, the word of promise, yea every thing that concurreth unto justification, or accompanieth it, we are said to receive, Ioh. 1: 12. Col. 2: 6. Rem. 5: 11, 17. Act. 2: 41, & 10: 43. & 26: 18. Heb. 9: 15.
2. That the only Grace, whereby we are said to receive these things, is Faith: receiving is explained to be beleeving Ioh. 1: 12. Act. 2: 41. comp. with vers. 44. we receive forgiveness of sins by faith Act. 26: 18.
3. That the Surety-Righteousness of Christ, is that only Righteousness, …pon the account of which we are justified before God, & not any Inherent Righteousness within ourselves, hath been evinced above.
4. That this Righteousness of the Surety must be imputed unto such, as are to be Justified, or reckoned upon their score; hath also been evinced.
5. That this Surety-Righteousness of Christ must be laid hold on by us, in order to our justification, hath been showne; & must be granted by all, that acknowledge it to be the Righteousness, upon the account of which we are Justified.
6. That the Scripture saith expresly, that God justifieth foreign, & foreign, by faith & through faith, & foreign by faith Rom. 3: 24, 25, 28, 30. Gal. 3: 8, & 2: 16. and that even when justification is denied to be by works; So that Faith must have a far other interest in; & must otherwise concurre unto our Justification, than any other Works, or Graces; and therefore must be looked upon, as having some peculiarity of interest and influence here, and this peculiarity of interest, can not be otherwayes better expressed, so▪ as the matter shall be cleared, then by calling it an Instrument. Not as if it did concurre to the produceing of the effect of justification by any Physical operation, as Physical Instruments do; but as a medium & mean required of us, in order to Justification, according to the free pleasure of God, who disposeth the order & methode of his bestowing of his Favours upon us, aud the Relation & Respect; that one hath unto another, as he seeth most for his own glory, and for our good; and that such a mean, as concurreth therein, and thereunto, according to what is said, in such a way, as we be can best understand by calling it an Instrument; for we can not allow it to be called any way meritorious, or any formal disposition of the soul or Preparation unto the Introduction of an Inherent Formal Cause of Justification, as Papists say; nor can we allow it to be called such a proper & Potestative Condition, as some would have it to be, as we saw in the forgoing Chapter.
7. That no real inconvenience can follow upon the owning of Faith for an Instrument, in justification; for Justification is not here taken simply & strickly for that, which is properly God's act, but more largely & complexly, including other things requisite unto Justification, such as the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ, which Faith, as the Instrument or hand of the soul, layeth hold on, & bringeth-in, for this end, that the man being clothed therewith, may be acquitted before the Tribunal of God, Pardoned, & accepted of as Righteous. And howbeit it be God, that justifieth, & as to this act of God justifying, Faith hath no real interest or influence; yet the Scripture saying, that God justifieth by Faith, and through faith, we must acknowledge some interest, that Faith hath, in the work & Effect; as when the Scripture saith, that He purifieth the heart by faith Act. 15: 9. the purifying of the heart is God's work, and yet it is said to be done by Faith, which is our work. It is said Heh. 11: 11, that through faith Sara herself received strength to conceive seed & vers. 33, 34. that some through faith subdued Kingdomes, stopped the mouthes of Lions, quenched the violence of fire &c. all which were the works of God, & yet while they are said to be done by faith, faith must have had some interest & influence in these effects. So in working faith in the soul, which is God's work alone, the Lord useth the preaching of the Gospel, and ministers, & the peoples hearkning & listning to what is preached, as meanes & midses thereunto; though preaching & hearing be mens work, yet God useth them for his ends; and as he sendeth Preachers to preach, & moveth persons to hear, that thereby he may, according to his own will & pleasure, work Faith in then; so he worketh Faith in souls, that he may, thereby Justify them. Nor is it of any weight to say, that if Faith be an Instrument, it must work as an efficient cause, because the Instrumental Cause belongeth to the Efficient; for neither do all Philosophers agree to this, some holding Instruments to be a fift kinde of Cause; nor are we obliged to stand to their prescriptions & rules, especially in these things, that are no natural causes or effects; no man saith, that faith hath the same kind & measure of Efficiency in & towards the effect, justification, that all Instrumental causes, or Instrumental causes so called, have in the Effects, which they concurre to the producing of; what efficiency hath an examplary cause, which some Philosophers reduce to the efficient viz. Keckerman: But that Faith hath some Influence, is manifest from the Scripture, not of it self, it is true, but by the gracious appointment of God; and that this Influence cannot be better & more saifly expressed, than by the name of an Instrument, appeareth to us clear; hereby nothing of the glory due to God, or unto Jesus Christ, and to his Righteousness, is ascribed unto man, nor is any more hereby granted unto Man, than to a beggar, as to the enriching of himself, when it is said, his hand made him rich, by receiving the Purse of gold, that was given unto him: yea hereby is Christ & his Righteousness more fixedly established, in their due place, because faith is considered not as a Righteousness of it self, nor as a part of Righteousness; but purely and simply as an Instrument of the soul laying hold on the Righteousness of Christ, and pleading the same, as the only Formal ground of his justification before God. If it be said, that it were saifer to call it a causa sine qua non. We must first know, what is properly signified thereby, & whether it will help us more, to understand the just & true import of the Scripture expressions about Faith in Justification; for no termes ought to be used, that attaine not this end, or have not a direct tendency thereunto; such termes, however we may please our selves in the invention of their application unto the business in hand, and think we are in case to defend the same against opponents; yet if they do not contribute manifestly to the clearing and explaining of the matter, according to the Scriptures, can only darken the matter: And no reason can enforce us to embrace them, with the arbitrary explications & limitations of the Authors, and to reject or lay aside such, as do more obviously explaine the matter, unto all such, as have orthodox apprehensions of the matter; and have given offence to none, nor have been excepted against by any, but such as were not orthodox in the point of justification; & whose erroneous Principles led them to deny, or except against the same. And what for a cause shall we take that, causa sine qua non to be? (which cannot be so explained in our language, as that every one that heareth it, shall be in case to understand, what it meaneth) Such as speak of it, call it causa fatua, and referre to it external occasions, time & place, and such like things, without which the action cannot proceed, as the place wherein we stand, & the time, wherein we do any thing, which have no more interest in, or relation to one action, than another, for all must be done by us, in some time, and in some place: And shall we say, that faith hath no other interest or influence in justification, than the hour of the day, when or the place wherein a minister preacheth, hath into his preaching? Shall we have so meane & low an account of the ordinances & appointments of God, in reference to spiritual ends? Seing the Lord hath appointed Faith, in order to Justification, we must not look upon it as a causa fatua, or as a meer circumstance, but as having some kindly influence in the effect, by vertue of the appointment of God, & such a connexion therewith, that it no sooner existeth, but as soon justification followeth. Faith then can not be called a meer causa sine qua non. Historical faith & several other antecedents, may be a conditio or causa sine qua non; for no man of age can be justified without it; yet we may not say, that we justified by it, as by saving faith; the same may be said of Conviction & Sense of sin, of some measure at least, of legal Repentance, and of desire of Pardon & of Peace, which yet may be, and oft are without justification. And it may also seem strange, how this causa sine qua non, can be called a potestative condition; or how that, which is said to be a proper Potestative Condition, ex cujus praestatione constituitur jus actuale ad beneficium, can be called a meer conditio or causa sine qua non, seing it hath such a considerable moral influence in the effect?
But saith Mr. Baxter against Mr. Blake §. 27, faith cannot justifie both as a Condition, & as an Instrument of Iustification; for either of them importeth the proximam & causalem rationem of faith, as to the effect; & it is utterly inconsistent with its nature, to have two such different neerest causal interests. Ans. When we speak of Faiths justifying, as an Instrument, we consider the physical, or quasi physical way of its operation, and denote only its kindly acting on Jesus Christ, and on his Righteousness which it layeth hold on, applyeth, apprehendeth, & putteth on. And when we say it justifieth as a condition, we consider it as appointed of God unto that end, & as placed by Him, in that state & relation unto justification, which now it hath: And either of these can be called the proxima ratio causalis of Faith, according to its different consideration: if justification, (meaning not God's act only, but the complex relative change) be considered in genere Physico, or quasi physico, then the neerest causal interest of faith, is its instrumentality: but if it be considered in genere morali, or legali, then its neerest causal interest is, that it is a condition. As when a rich man bestoweth a purse of gold on a beggar, & requireth that he, in order to the possessing of it, streatch forth his hand, & take it, considering this act of enriching him in genere physico, his hand acteth herein, as an Instrument, apprehending the purse, & taking it to himself: considering this, in genere legali or morali, the streatching forth of his hand, and apprehending the purse is a condition; for so the donor hath determined to give the riches, after such a manner & methode, for his own ends, according to his good pleasure. Thus we see, how faith can, in its way, produce one & the same effect of justification, both as an Instrument, and as a Condition, taking these termes, in a large sense, according to the matter in hand.
Mr. Baxter saith Confess. p. 89. he denieth that Faith is an Instrument of Iustification, because he dar not give so much of Christ's honour to man, or any act of mans, as to be an efficient cause of pardoning himself. Ans. And he knoweth, that the orthodox do of purpose, call faith an Instrument in justification, in opposition to the Papists, that Christ may weare the honour alone, and man may be abased: & if they have been unhappy, in falling upon the medium to that end; Yet their Intention was honest. But when Faith is called an Instrument in justification, justification is not taken for an act of accepting & pardoning alone; for they knew, that it was God only that accepteth & pardoneth, & that it is he only, who Justifieth; but they took justification in a more comprehensive sense, as including Christ's Righteousness, the only formal ground of justification, in reference to which, Faith is said to act as an Instrument receiving. And this may satisfie such, as will not have the mysteries of God cast in a pure Philosophical mould, because some such termes are used for explications sake.
Mr. Baxter Confess. p. 95. saith. Such as say, faith justifieth qua instrumentum, de most certainly make it to justifie, as an action. And in his postscript, to Mr. Cartwright. Those that make faith to justifie, as an Instrument, or as apprehensio Christi, do set up the foreign credere, which they cry down; for that, which they call instrumentality, is the apprehensive act, & apprehendere & credere are here all one. They contradict themselves in saying, that Paul excludes all works, because faith (say they) justifieth not as a work: for to justifie qua instrumentum, or qua apprehensio Christi, is to justifie as a work, or as this work. And so this doctrine sets up justification by works & that in an unlawful sense; for it maketh the formal reason of Faiths justifying to be its apprehension, that is, that it is such an action; or its instrumentality, which is an operation.] Ans. This is no new Objection; for Schlichtingius the Socinian Cont. Meisnerum p. 130. did object the same upon the matter. It is true, when we say faith Justifieth as an Instrument, we make it to Justifie as an action, taking qua specificativè as he himself also must do, when he faith it justifieth as a Condition Potestative, for a potestative condition is some action performed, & himself, as we heard, called it actio voluntaria de futuro. But he knoweth, that when it is said, that Faith justifieth, as an Instrument, the meaning is but more emphatically to shew, that it is the Righteousness of Christ, which faith apprehendeth, by which we are justified, & that they, who cry up the foreign credere, make that the Righteousness, by which we are justified; so that the foreign credere in their sense, who will have it imputed to us for Righteousness, respecteth immediatly the benefite, to wit, Pardon, Acceptation &c. Faith as an Instrument, or apprehension, in our sense, respecteth Christ & his Righteousness immediatly, which it receiveth as an Instrument, in order to the benefite, which is had upon the account of Christ & his Righteousness, made ours; In our sense, faith is no more, but as the hand receiving bread, and as the mouth eating it, in order to food & nourishment thereby; in their sense, faith is made the very food & nourishment, or meat it self that nourisheth: When we say, that Faith Justifieth as an Instrument, it is but, as if we said, man liveth by his hands taking meat, and by his mouth eating it; when they say, that faith justifieth as a work, & that the foreign credere is imputed for Righteousness, it is, as if they said, the hand & the mouth are the very food, or the meat it self, by which we live and are nourished: we, looking upon Faith as an Instrument, as upon the hand and mouth, as instruments of nourishment, ascribe all the vertue of nourishment unto the meat. They, denying the hand and the mouth to be considered here as instruments, and saying that we live and are nourished by the hand and the mouth, (just as they do, when they make the foreign credere our Righteousness, in reference to justification) ascribe all the vertue of nourishment unto the hand & the mouth, and so set up the hand & the mouth, in the place, that is due unto the meat, and rob the meat, of that power & vertue, that is only proper to it. Yet withall, when we say, that hands and mouth nourish us as Instruments, we do not deny, but in a general sense, our receiving of meat with our hands, & eating of it with our mouth, are conditions of nourishment, importing hereby, that the wise God hath appointed this order and methode, giving us hands to receive meat, & mouths to eat it, & a stomach to digest it, in order to the living, and receiving thereby nourishment; only we do not say, they are such conditions, as have all the vertue of nourishment in them. This is but a similitude, and so must halt in some things, as all similitudes do; yet it serveth to illustrate the matter, and to shew the difference betwixt our expressions, and the expressions of our Adversaries, in this matter; & how little ground there is so this objection, and particularly how, when we say faith justifieth as an Instrument, we do not withall say, it justifieth, as a work, in our Adversaries sense; And how, when we say, Faith is a condition, we do not withall say, that it justifieth as a potestative proper condition, in our Adversaries sense; as also, how we cannot admit, that faith shall be called no more, than a causa sine qua non; seing it is so manifest, that eating & digesting of meat hath another influence into nourishment by food, than a meer causa sine qua non hath into any effect.
Mr. Baxter Confess. p. 95. 96. I must therefore professe, that after long consideration I know no one terme, that properly expresseth this neerest & formal interest of faith in justification, but only the terme condition, as that is usually taken for the condition of a free gift, & when the Scripture telleth us, how faith justifieth, it is in such termes, as these, if thou confess with thy mouth &c. he that beleeveth shall be saved &c. In all which, if the conditional if, & the conditional forme of the promise, express not a condition, I despaire of ever understanding it in this life. Ans. As for the neerest & formal interest of Faith, in Justification, if all other questions touching that fundamental truth of Justification, were satisfyingly determined, & put to an end, there needed not be much controversie; but when as we have seen, the decision of this hath such an interest in the decision of more substantial points, or necessarily attendeth the same, enquirie with sobriety after the truth, even in these lesser things, cannot be condemned; And, on the contrare, receding from, & condemning received termes & expressions, which have an obvious, plaine & sound meaning, being taken, according as they have been constantly used, because not quadrating every way with mens new Philosophical and too metaphysical apprehensions & notions, in this matter, cannot but be displeasing. And too much Philophical accuracy in the clearing up of these mysteries, is not the most edifying & saife way of explication. 2. We are not against the use of the terme Condition in this matter, knowing that faith may well be called a condition, but the question is in what sense we must take the word, condition: And to say, that it is taken, as commonly used for the condition of a free gift, will not satisfie in our case; because though the gift which we expect by faith, is to us indeed free; yet it is a purchased free gift; & such a free gift, as these who get it, have all the legal title & Right thereunto, through the Ca…tioners purchase & payment, & only come to the possession of it through Faith, according to the wise methode & Connexion, made by the Soveraigne Lord. Adam's perfect obedience might have been called the condition of a free gift: and we cannot give the same place & power to Faith in the New Covenant, that perfect obedience had in the old; for Adam if he had perfectly obeyed, had gote his reward without any intervention of a Price by a Mediator, purchasing it, but we must hold all our reward solely of Christ, that he may have the glory of all (3) as (if) can denote a Condition, so (by, foreign) can denote an instrumental cause. Himself tels us som-where in his Confut, of Ludom, Colvinus, aliàs Ludov, Molinaeus, that foreign denoteth an efficient cause & we read, that we are Iustified by faith, foreign. And further, though these passages, which he citeth, and the conditional if, and the conditional forme of the promise, do indeed express a Condition; yet they do not say, or prove that the terme Condition is the only one terme, that properly expresseth the nearest & formal interest of faith in Justification; or that the terme of an Instrument is no way fit to express this neer & formal interest of faith in justification, seing to be justified by faith, or through faith, foreign (all which the Scripture useth) is as expressive of an Instrumental interest, as if thou beleeve &c. is expressive of a condition.
He saith ibid. p. 89. Conclus. 10. That the difference betwixt him & others, is not that he giveth any more to works, than they; but that they give more to faith, than he, & consequently to man: & if he be guilty of equalling faith & obedience too much, it is not by bringing up works too high (to be Instruments of Iustification, as they make Faith) but in taking down Faith too much, & consequently, in too much abaseing all acts of man. Ans. If he bring up works to Faith, in our Justification, & give a like interest to both, he giveth more to works, than the orthodox will do: And when we call faith an Instrument in justification, we give not so much to it, as they do, who call it conditio potestativa, and give it the same place in the New Covenant, that perfect obedience had in the old, as was seen above: And who ever say this, are so far from debasing man & his actions, that they give him, as much ground of glorying & boasting, as ever Adam would have had, if he had fulfilled the condition, & given full & perfect Obedience: And he cannot but know, that that terme, Instrument, was of purpose applied to Faith, in this matter, to depresse man, & to keep the crown upon the head of Christ, as it is apt enough to do, if it be but candidely understood, & taken as it is applied, and no further, nor vexed with metaphysical niceties, a way, that might render every borrowed terme, whether from arts or sciences, how expressive so ever of our meaning, & explicative of the matter intended, utterly useless. It is true, when he calleth faith only a causa sine qua non, he seemeth to giveless to Faith, than we do, if that terme be taken, in its strick sense, as it is by Philosophers taken, who will not have it called a Cause at all, but rather conditio sine qua non: But thus he depresseth it below that place & interest, which is due to all the institutions & appointments of God, as such; for none of them can rightly be called conditio sine qua non, and no more, in reference to that effect & end, for which they are appointed of him; and far less can Faith be said to be only conditio sine qua non, in reference to justification, seing by the unalterable appointment of the Soveraigne Lord, justification so dependeth upon & is connected with Faith, that who ever beleeveth (to wit, savingly, or with that Faith, which here we only understand) whensoever he beleeveth, doth immediatly passe from death unte life, and is justified. But no man will say, that the effect doth so much depend upon, or is connected with that, which is but a conditio sine qua non, as was before shewn, in several Instances: And where is then his Conditio Potestativa? is that but a causa fatua.
But ibid. Conclus. 9. he tels us, that one maine reason, which constrained him to deny that Faith is an Instrument in justification, is because he dar not give so much of Christ's honour to man, or any act of mans, as to be an efficiont cause of pardoning himself. Ans. When we make Faith an Instrument in justification, we make it not an Instrument of the act of pardoning, which is solely the Lords act; but taking justification largly as including the Righteousness of Christ the only ground thereof, we say, that in reference to Christ, & this Surety-Righteousness of his which is imputed, in order to the Lord's justifying & Pardoning of us, faith acteth as an Instrument, apprehending Christ & his Righteousness, & upon that account is to be considered as an Instrument, in the matter of justification: And himself Concl. 11. ibid. saith that he ever held, that it is only faith, that is the receiving of Christ, & that faith being the only receiving grace (wherein no meer moral duty or grace doth participate of its honour or nature) it was therefore by God peculiarly destinated or appointed to the office of justifying, as fittest to the glorying of free grace, & of God Redeemer therein. And if this be the all. (as to the substance) of what we say, or the most of that which we meane, when we call faith an Instrument, what ground was there of differing from his brethren? or what ground was there to feare, that Christ's honour should have been wronged thereby? Sure, while Faith is called an Instrument, as receiving Christ & his Righteousness, in order to justification, Christ is more honoured in that affaire, than when our Faith is made our Gospel-Righteousness, & called a perfect Righteousness & so our whole Righteousness (as some) a chiefe part of it (as others) upon the account of which we are justified.