grace, or all graces together, or all the parts of them, as it is assigned to faith, they shall be attended to. And this in particular is to be affirmed of Repentance which is vehemently urged to be of the same necessity to our justification as faith is. For this they say is proved from scripture which calls all men to repentance that will be saved. But that which they have to prove, is not that it is of the same necessity, but of the same use with faith in justification. It is. however, pleaded that whatever is a necessary condition of the new covenant is also a necessary condition of justification. And by a necessary condition of the new covenant they mean that, without which a man cannot be saved. But of this nature is repentance as well as faith, and so is equally a condition of our justification. In reply to this I say final perseverance is a necessary condition of the new covenant, and by this rule it is also of justification. But if perseverance to the end is a necessary condition of justification, no man can be justified while he is in this world. It is then to no purpose to dispute any longer about justification, if no man is or can be justified in this life. But how contrary this is to Scripture and experience is well known. If it be said that final perseverance, which is so express a condition of salvation in the new covenant, is not indeed the condition of our first justification, but of the continuation of our justification; they yield up their grand position, that whatever is a necessary condition of the new covenant, is a necessary condition of justification, for it is that which they call the first justification alone which we treat about. And that the continuation of our justification depends solely on the same causes with our justification itself, shall be afterwards declared. But it is not yet proved, nor ever will be, that whatever is required in them that are to be justified, is a condition of their justification. We allow that alone to be a condition of justification which hath an influence of causality* thereto, *To assign to faith a causality in our justification, is not less ex though it be but the causality of an instrument. This we ascribe to faith alone. And because we do so, it is pleaded that we ascribe more in our justification to ourselves than they do by whom we are opposed. For we ascribe the efficiency of an instrument berein to our faith; when they say only that it is a condition, or a causa sine qua non, of our justification. But I judge that grave and wise men ought not to give so much to the defence of the cause they have undertaken, seeing they cannot but know indeed the contrary. For after they have given the specious name of a condition and a causa sine qua non, to faith they immediately take all other graces and obedience unto the same state with it and the same use in justification, and after this seeming gold hath been cast for awhile into the fire of disputation, there comes out the calf of a personal inherent righteousness, whereby men are justified before Deptionable, than to make it a condition, or a causa sine qua non. For it cannot be causal otherwise than as standing in the same relation to justification as a cause to its effect. But to represent justification as the effect of faith, or as that of which faith is a cause, either natural, efficient or instrumental only, is to give it an importance as high and improper as that of a condition or a causa sine qua non. If it be a cause, justification must be suspended on its operation as a cause; if a condition, justification is suspended on its performance; if a causa sine qua non, it is that without which justification cannot be effected. The difference between them is more imaginary or verbal, than real, the objections against each, are equally strong and well founded; and he who adopts the first in order to be clear of the untenable consequences which clog the latter, only shuns the frightful Scylla to be wrecked upon the fatal Charybdis. The doctor defends his position in the following chapter: perhaps the reflecting reader will think with a nerveless and wavering hand. Thither he is referred; and in the mean time it is asked, "Is it not more consistent with the order of the Divine economy, to represent faith itself as a fruit of the Redeemer's righteousness, given to the awakened sinner in consequence of his antecedent federal justification in Christ, to enable him to realize the blessedness of his state and to qualify him to give glory to God by triumphing always in Christ?" This interrogation is made under a clear conviction that the affirmative of it, admits of the most conclusive scriptural proof. God, by virtue of evangelical covenant; for as for the righteousness of Christ to be imputed to us, it is gone into heaven and they know not what is become of it. Having given this brief declaration of the nature and acts of justifying faith, I shall not trouble myself to give an accurate definition of it. For the lively scriptural expressions of faith, by receiving of Christ, leaning on him, rolling ourselves or our burden on him, and others. I may have occasion to speak of them afterwards; as also to shew that they convey a better understanding of the nature, work and object of justifying faith, to the minds of men spiritually enlightened than the most accurate definitions that many pretend to; some whereof are destructive and exclusive of them all. CHAPTER, III. The use of Faith in Justification; its especial object farther cleared. THE HE description before given of justifying faith sufficiently manifests of what use it is in justification. Nor shall I add much unto what may be thence observed to that purpose. But this use of it hath been expressed with some variety, and several ways of it asserted inconsistent with one another, they must be considered in our way. And I shall do it with all brevity possible; for these things lead not in any part of the controversy about the nature of justification, but are merely subservient unto other conceptions concerning it. Protestant Divines until of late, have unanimously affirmed faith to be the instrumental cause of our justification. This notion was from the first opposed by those of the Roman Church. Afterwards it was denied also by the Socinians, as either false or improper. And of late this expression is disliked by some among ourselves; wherein they follow Episcopius Curcellius and others of that way. Those who are sober and moderate do rather decline this notion and expression as improper than reject them as untrue. And our safest course in these cases is to consider what is the thing or matter intended. If that be agreed upon, he deserves best of truth, who parts with strife about propriety of expressions, before it be medled with. Tenacious pleading about them will surely render our contentions endless; and none will ever want an appearance of probability to give them countenance in what they pretend. If our design in teaching be the same with that of the Scripture, namely to inform the minds of believers, and convey the light of the knowledge of God in Christ unto them, we must be contented sometimes to make use of such expressions, as will scarce pass the ordeal of arbitrary rules and distinctions through the whole compass of notional and artificial sciences, Those who assert faith to be as the instrumental cause in our justification, do it with respect unto two ends. For first they design thereby to declare the meaning of those expressions in the Scripture, wherein we are said to be justified by faith. Rom. iii. 28. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith. So verse 22. Rom. i. 17. Gal. iii. 8. Eph. ii. 8. Rom. iii. 22, 30. That is, we are justified by faith or through faith. For our faith we are no where said to be justified. The inquiry is, what is the most proper lightsome, and convenient way of declaring the meaning of these expressions. This the generality of Protestants do judge to be by an instrumental cause. For some kind of causality they pla'nly intimate, whereof the lowest and meanest is that which is instrumental. For they are used of faith in our justification before God, and of no other grace or duty whatever. Wherefore the proper work or office of faith in our justification is intended by them. And dia, by, is no where used in the whole New Testament with a genitive case, but it donotes an instrumental efficiency at least. In the divine works of the Holy Trinity, the operation of the second person, who is in them a principal efficient, yet is sometimes expressed thereby; it may be to denote the order of operation in the Holy Trinity answering the order of subsistence, though it be applied unto God absolutely or the Father; Rom. xi. 35. "by him are all things." Again, by the works of the law, and by faith, are directly opposed, Gal. iii. 2. But when it is said that a man is not justified, by the works of the law, it is acknowledged by all that the meaning of the expression is to exclude all efficiency in every kind of such works from our Ι |