A Treatise of Justifying Righteousness, Book 2 · Aphorism 152
Aphorism.
In Append. IS not Faith a work or act page 120.of ours?
Animadvers.
It is not the act of Faith apprehending, but the Object or thing apprehended, viz. Christ's Righteousness, which doth formally justifie. Only Faith or Believing is said to justifie, because Christ's Righteousness, except it be apprehended by Faith, is not available to our Justification. Something before out of B. Davenant I have cited to this purpose, to which I add that which he saith de Just. Hab. cap. 28. page 371. Nihil usitatius quam causae applicanti illud tribuere, quod propriè & immediatè pertinet ad rem applicatam. Quia igitur fides apprehendit & applicat nobis Christi justitiam, id fidei ipsi tribuitur quod reapse Christo debetur.
Reply.
1. If indeed this be your meaning, that it is not Faith by which we are justified at all, but Christ, the Dispute is vain, How Faith justifies? and Whether Faith alone? if be not Faith at all. What have we done all this while? But I cannot believe that when you say, [Faith justifies as a Condition, or Apprehension, or (as other say) as an Instrument,] that by [Faith is meant [Christ,] as if he were the Condition, Apprehension and Instrument.
2. I am not of your mind, that Christ's Righteousness doth formally justifie; but rather, meritoriously or materially. Remember the place which I cited even now out of Rivet where he blames Bellarmine for fastening your conceit on us.
3. Is it not utter obscurity to say, [Believing is said to justifie, only because Christ's Righteousness, except apprehended, &c.] Oh that you had told me here what the moral Office or Interest of Faith is in this work! and why Christ's Righteousness cannot justifie without apprehension? I know but two Opinions that are worth the mentioning: Some say, [Because Faith is an Instrument;] or as others, that see the impropriety of this, [Because it is conditio naturaliter necessaria, as the hands taking a Pearl;] and not moraliter ex constitutione donantis. This Opinion I have by very many Arguments confuted in another place. 2. That it is of natural convenience, and moral necessity. It would have been inconvenient to have given Remission upon Christ's Satisfaction to any without Faith; yet God could have done it, had he pleased, and removed some caus…s of the inconveniency. But the immediate Reason of Faith's interest, is, that the Donor hath made it the Condition. This is my Judgment, which I have fullier elswhere explained and proved. Daveitant's words are not against me.
Animadvers.
Manton on James 2. 23. [For those great Disputes about the matter of Justification, I would not intermeddle, let it suffice to note, That the general current of Paul's Epistles carrieth it for the Righteousness of Christ; which being imputed to us, maketh us just and acceptable b…fore God; and this Righteousness we receive by Faith. So that Faith justifieth not in the Popish sense, as a most perfect Grace, or as a good Work done by us; but in it's relation to Christ, as it receiveth Christ's satisfactory Righteousness, And so whether you say it justifieth as an Instrument, a sole working Instrument, or as an Ordinance or Relative Action required on our part, all is to the same issue and purpose. To contend about mere words, and bare forms of speech, is to be too precise and critical.
Reply.
To Mr. Manton I say, 1. If it be all one whether we say, An Instrument, an Ordinance, or Relative Action required on our parts, then I much differ not from you: For I dare call it so, [A Relative Act required on our parts.] But,
2. I conceive that [A Relative Act] is a dark Expression: What Relation hath it to Christ? doth it justifie qua related to Christ? then why do not many other acts related to Christ justifie? For my part, I think, when the nature of Faith, and of Justification, and of a Condition, is well understood, it will appear that we have no proper name in use to express the Formalem Rationem of Faith's interest in Justification, but the term [Condition,] as it is used by Lawyers; or, Causa sine qua non, & cum quâ, ex necessitate morali.
3. Do not those contend about words (and mistaking ones) that contend so much for Faith's Instrumentality in justifying? Words must be fitted to things. It is far from a mere contention about words, in the sense as I use it: Whether it be receiving Christ only as Priest that justifieth? is a material Question; and so are many more that follow.
Animadvers.
Praeceptum & prohibitio ad Voluntatem praecipientem: operatio autem & permissio ad voluntatem decernentem pertinent. Trigland. de Volunt. Dei, p. 159. Praeceptum (quo Deus Abrahamo praecepit, ut filium suum immolaret) erat signum, non voluntatis decernentis, quasi Deus decrevisset quid certo fieri deberet, cujus per signum est operatio Divina, …x illa rei eventu… Sed voluntatis exigentis, & hujus verum erat & indubitatum signum: Verè enim & serio Deus ab Abrahamo exigebat…, ut adeo se morigirum et exhiberet, & vel …o s…i…o ipsius cau…à non parceret. Trigland. ibid. p. 1….
V… si… Precept, o… Prohibition, o… Operation, … called … not properly Voluntas, but only si… there is a Voluntas of which those …, the signs whereof are …on; and Voluntas decernens, the signs … and Permission.
Reply.
I am … T…igl…ndius speak the same as I do, and tha… yo… … your following words exictly agree with … that point, asserting both a proper imm… Will de Debito, distinct from that de Eventu; and a signal Will de Debito m…tonym… cally so called.
I came but even now from heaping up forty Testimonies of our Divines that speak as I, and am loth to do that work again, unless it were more useful: But I remember I promised you something of Davenant's, because you oft mention him: And it is not any Sentences on the by, but his judgment fully and purposely delivered in Propositions, with their proof, how far Good-works are necessary. De Justit. Habit & Act. c. 30. p. 384. [1. Bona opera sunt necessaria omnibus fidelibus & Justificatis, qui habent usum rationis & per aetatem operari possunt.] Lege sequentia. Et cap. 31. p. 403. Conclus. 5. [Bona quaedam opera sunt necessaria ad Justificationem, ut conditiones concurrentes vel praecursoriae, licet non sint necessariae ut causae efficientes aut meritoriae] Lege probat. Conclus. 6. p. 404. Bona opera sunt necessaria ad Justificationis statum retinendum & conservandum; Non ut causae quae per se efficiant aut mereantur hanc conservationem: Sed ut media seu conditiones, sine quibus Deus non vult Justificationis gratiam in hominibus conservare.] Vide probat. scq. Conclus. 7. p. 405. Bona opera Justificatorum sunt ad salutem necessaria necessitate ordinis, non causalitatis: Vel planius, ut via ordinata ad vitam aeternam, non ut causae meritoriae vitae aeternae. Vid. & pag. 570, 571, 572, 633.
You may see here, if you will be of Davenant's mind, you must be of mine in this: He gives to Works the very same Office as I do, neither more nor less. If he do give any more than I to Faith, (as he doth in calling it an Instrument; but I think it is Metaphorically only that he means) that is all the difference. I undertake to manifest, that our greatest Divines ordinarily give to Works as much as I: But indeed I give not to Faith (and to man) so much as they; not daring to make man his own Justifier and Pardoner, or his Act to be the Instrument of God's Act of justifying, or of producing the same effect. Who can forgive sins but God only? If he have any Instruments, it is his Gospel properly, and his Ministers remotely, and less properly.
Finitur, Jun. 18. 1652.