sub modo signifieth nothing until the Condition or Mode be perform'd Tho' it hath no Causality in Producing the Effect yet is the Effect as Really suspended thereby as if it had Thus it has Pleased the Testator to dispose and his Disposition none can disannul In this sense seeing Justification is Promised in the Last Will and Testament of our Lord Jesus to Him that Believeth Faith is the Modus Promissionis vel Donationis So that altho' Justification be not the Result of our Faith but of Christ's Righteousness alone yet Faith being made by the Testator a Modus of the Disposition or Donation there can be no Justification without it The Operation of Christ's Righteousness which in this Case is the Negotium or Principal Cause of our Justification is by the Non-Performance of Faith suspended and so long we remain Unjustified It hath pleased God to fix such an Order in the Dispensation of his Blessings that the one necessarily antecedes the other and what goeth before another hath an Influence upon that other as it is so setled and establish'd by the Ordinance of God Not that the former gives Right unto the latter but so it is appointed of God that such an Order be observed in the disposing of these Blessings that he who has not the first shall not have the second He that hath not Faith shall not be Justified But whether it be a Condition of the Covenant of Grace Or a Condition in this Covenant Or only a Condition of our Justification tho' our Divines have different Sentiments about it yet 't is generally held that Faith is a Condition of Justification They that scruple the use of the Word own the thing signified thereby The Learned Author of Anti-sozzo saith that Faith is a Condition in the Covenant of Grace tho' not of it and they who hold that the Covenant of Grace was made with Christ as a Second Adam do assert that it is also made with the Faithful the Members of Christ Discourse of the two Covenants lib. 3. c. 3. p. 162. for which the Judicious Mr Strong gives several Reasons namely That the Saints may see that they are as strictly bound to Obedience in their own Persons under the Second Covenant as they were under the First And that the Doctrine of the Gospel tho' it be a Doctrine of Liberty is not a Doctrine of Licentiousness and that they may stand in awe of the Threats of God This Doctrine saith he I do the rather pitch upon in Opposition to the Licentious Tenent of the Antinomians who say that all is Required of Christ and nothing of Us. This Notion of a Condition as it doth most fully Provide against Antinomianism by Inferring the Necessity of Faith's being in Order of Nature before Justification so it doth as effecctually secure us from the Popish Arminian and Socinian Rocks in that it is not a Legal but a Testamentary Condition that cannot Establish the Merit of Good Works nor Interfere with Christ's meriting or the Spirits working the First Grace nor Subvert the Doctrine of Satisfaction or Particular Election All Testamentary Dispositions whatever be the Modes of Donation are of Free Grace not of Metit and being Given to us as the Children of a Testator the Merit and Gift of the First Grace which is necessary to our being such Children cannot be Destroyed by such a Modus or Condition These things will Appear with much more Clearness if we consider that the Holy Scriptures Represent Christ as a Second-Adam the Father of a Spiritual Off-spring Two things Christ did as a Second-Adam He undertook to beget a Seed and Raise that Seed unto Glory This Seed Christ Purchased and on his Purchase they are given him by the Father according to the terms Agreed on between the Father and the Son in the Eternal Compact That Christ begets a Seed and by his Word and Spirit Governs and Raises them unto Glory is so far from being inconsistent with his Meriting and Giving the First Grace that it is in Pursuance of it Christ merited a Seed and that he may have what he merited a Seed is Given him which is by the Fathers drawing the Sons gathering and the Spirits working Grace in them Christ also as a Second-Adam made satisfaction for his Children who as soon as they do spiritually by Regeneration Descend from him have a Right to Impunity If the Satisfaction had been made by Christ as a Mediator for the Elect as such then indeed as soon as they had any Being they would have been Discharg'd from the Debt But Christ making Satisfaction for the Elect as his Seed they cannot partake of the Right resulting from it but as they become his Seed As they are his Seed Virtually they have a Virtual Discharge but an Actual Discharge they cannot have till they are Actually born again Moreover the Covenant of Grace being made with Christ as a Second-Adam the Promises are made unto Christ as the Reward of his Obedience but for his Seed so that in Christ you must be by Faith that you may be Pardoned and Saved and yet your Pardon and Salvation Results not from your Faith but from Christ's Righteousness whereby it 's manifest that Gospel-Promises are Powerful Motives to Engage us to do our utmost to Believe and Repent and must be Preached to this Very-End and Purpose Thus the Doctrine of our Merit is laid by Christ's meriting and working the First Grace and his making Satisfaction to God's Justice and the necessity of our Faith Repentance and Sanctification are abundantly cleared by this Gospel-Representation that is made of Christ as he is a Second Adam with whom the Covenant of Grace is made and with his Seed as such which is so far from destroying Particular Election that it establisheth it For the Elect were Promised unto Christ merited by him and given unto him as the Reward of his Sufferings whereby it is made sure that the Death of Christ shall not be altogether in vain He shall see the Elect as the Travel of his Soul and be satisfied Thus as in Opposition to Popery Arminianism and Socinianism Legal Conditions are Justly Rejected so in Contradiction to the Antinomian Error Testamentary Conditions are here explicated and asserted CHAP. V. The Notion the first Reformers had of Justifying Faith not Antinomian Their Dectrine in Opposition to the Papist Arminian and Socinian Described That they did not hold Justification to be before Faith Nor did they Exclude all Doubtings from Faith nor hold that we might live as we list and whilst so Believe and be Justified To Assert That Faith is a Certain and Full Perswasion wrought in the Heart of Man through the Holy Ghost whereby he is Assured of the Mercy of God Promised in Christ that his Sins are Forgiven him is not Antinomianism THE Antinomians I mean such as are really so have had too much Honour given them by such as Grant that their Notion about Faith is supported by
Testament Crel Ethic. Christ lib. 1. c. 5. As Crellius in his Christian Ethicks gives this account of Faith in like manner he doth the same Rom. 3.22 Gal. 2.16 Est vero Commentarius hic vivente adbuc Joanne Crellio Colleâ—a into desideratissimo à me consectus elâ—cubratus ita ut in eruendis Epistolae istius sinsibus omnis mibi cum Crellio sociata fucrit opera idque ita ut ei primas hic partes merito deferre debtam Praesat ad Lector Slichtin in Heb. c. 11. v. 1. on the Romans and Galatians and concurs with Slichtingius in his Commentary on the Hebrews in composing which he had a great hand as Slichtingius in his Preface doth ingeniously confess where it 's thus Faith if properly and strictly taken differs from Obedience and our coming unto God For Faith must be in him who seeks God before he doth it Faith more largely by a Synechdodochical Metonymy comprehends within it its Effects namely all Works of Piety and Righteousness Slichtingius John 5.24 Fides in Christum trahit secum observationem mandatorum ejus quae nisi sequatur vanam irritam esse sidem oportet on John thus Faith in Christ carries with it an observation of his Commands and without it all Faith is vain yea dead In this Faith therefore an observation of Christs Commandments is included Wolzogenius Fides duas habet partes Primarias una est Fiducia in Deum per Christum inque promissiones ejus collocata altera Obedientia ac observantia Preceptorum â—jus Wolzog Instruct ad util Lect. Lib. N. T. cap. 6. Faith hath two Principal parts the one is a Trust in God through Christ and in his Promises the other is Obedience to his Commandments Smalcius in his Refutation of Frantzius is more express Smalâ— Refut Thes de Caus peccat p. 450. Even as the Soul is the Essential Form of Man so are Works and Christian Piety the Essence and Form of Faith Trust in God through Christ may be Ratione distinguished from true Piety and Obedience but yet there is no Real difference between them Socinus himself thus * Fidei siquidem nomine ex qua Justificemur intelligit Paulus Fiduciam ejusmodi in Deo per Christum collocatam ex quâ necessariô Obedientia Praeceptorum Christi nasâ—atur quae etiam Obedientia sit tanquam forma substantia ist us Fidei Socin Lect. Sacr. in Bibl. Polon That Faith by which we are Justified according to the Apostle Paul is a Trust in God through Christ from whence Obedience to his Commandments doth necessarily flow for it is as the form and substance of this Faith Thus the Socinians distinguishing between Faith as taken properly or strictly and figuratively as largely make the first to be only a Fiducia the second which they affirm to be Justifying is comprehensive of Hope Love and Works which say they are the Essential form of a Living Justifying Faith whereby they introduce Justification by Works Not the Merit of our Works This they strenuously oppose So Wolzogenius who speaking of the Merit of our Good Works assures us That if we look closely into this matter nothing can appear to be more certain and true than that we cannot by our Good Works Merit any thing of God For he is our Creator and as such hath a right to all we can do without the proposal of any Compensation or Reward Besides it 's a Dictate of Right Reason that the Fruit belongs to him that soweth Welzog in Luc. c. 17. c. 7. and surely it is God that worketh in us to will and to do of his own good pleasure These and some other considerations he offers against the Merit of our Good Works Crel in Eph. c. 3 v. 1.11 Socin Frag. de Justific The same is done by Crellius Socinus is vehement in his opposition against all Merit which must necessarily be done by them who ascribe so much to Free Grace as to deny both the Satisfaction of Christ's Death and Merit of his Righteousness Et â—t nostram â—â—â—â—â—de â—e sâ—â—aâ— â—eâ—tâ—â—â—â—â— â—â—â—atz 〈◊〉 omnes 〈◊〉 nuiâ—â—â—â—mnino dari Meritum quemadmodum nec ipsa â—ox MERITI in tâ—to sacro Codice usquam reperitur mequicquameiaequipol ens quod ad Christum attinet non ob aliam causam dicitur Phil. 2. eum idio Exaltatum esse quòd usque ad moâ—tem obediens suerit quam quod sine isla obedientia exaltatus non fuerit Meritâ—m autem in to nullum fâ—isse hinc apparet quod Apostolus ibidem mox addit donavit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ei nomen quod est supra omne Nomen Nihil autem meâ—ito propriè accepto cum Donatione Commine est Smalc contra Franâ—z Disp 3. p. 88. That Frantzius and all others saith Smalcius may know our sense in this matter we declare against all Merit whatever for neither the word Merit or any thing signifying what is equivalent thereunto can be found in Scripture and what was said of Christ touching his Exaltation for his being obedient to the Death of the Cross imports no more than that if he had not been obedient he would not have been Exalted But that he did not Merit is manifest from the following words He gave him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a name above every name for Merit and Free Gist are incompatible with each other Idâ—â— nec usquam in sacris Liteâ—is Meriti aut Mereudi â—oces mâ—â—is de Christo quam de nobis rispectu Dei usuâ—pantur ut longè praestat cum Scripturâ loqui Christi Obedientiae potius ac Morti salutem nostram tribuere quam Meritis per illud enim GRATIA Dei non tantum non obscuratur sed etiam logè magis illushatur sat per Meritum propriè dictum imminuitur tollitur Slicir in Phil. c. â— v. 9. Slichtingius on the Philippians saith That the word Merit as it is not in all the Sacred Writings attributed to Man's VVorks with respect to God so neither is it unto Chrit's Whence it 's much better with the Holy Scriptures to ascribe Salvation to Christ's Death and Obedience rather than unto his Merits for to do so doth not obscure but illustrate the Grace of God whereas Merit taken properly doth Eclipse yea Destroy Free Grace These passages may suffice to shew how much the Socinians are against the Merit of Good VVorks and yet hold our Works to be an Essential of that Faith which they say is a cause of our Justification Faith as it apprehends Christ's Righteousness for Justification they explode and by making it an Act of the Will they take within the compass of its Formal Nature Hope Love and Obedience and to bring in Good Works amongst the Causes of our Justification The Nature and Efficacy of True Faith saith Slichtingius lieth in this that it begets Love to God Who can believe he shall obtain Eternal Life if he loves his Neighbour
non which leaves us at as great an Uncertainty as to the Nature and Efficacy of this Condition as we were before Nor is the true sense of things at all Illustrated but rather darkned by such Notions Conditio in the best Latine Writers is variously used answering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek That is Status Fortuna Dignitas Causa Pactum initum In which of their Significations it is here to be understood is not easie to be determined In common use among us it sometimes denotes the State and Quality of Men that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and sometimes a valuable Consideration of what is to be done that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But herein it is applied unto things in great variety sometimes the Principal-Procuring-Purchasing-Cause is so expressed As the Condition whereon a Man lends another an Hundred Pound is that he be Paid it again with Interest The Condition whereon a Man conveyeth his Land unto another is that he Receive so much Money for it And sometimes it signifies such things as are added to the Principal Cause whereon its Operation is suspended As a man bequeaths an Hundred Pound unto another on Condition that he come or go to such a Place and Demand it This is no valuable Consideration yet is the Effect of the Principal Cause or the Will of the Testator suspended thereon And as unto degrees of Respect unto that whereof any thing is a Condition as to Purchase Procurement Valuable Consideration necessary Presence the Variety is Endless We therefore cannot obtain a determinate sense of this word Condition but from a particular Declaration of what is intended by it wherever it is used And although this be not sufficient to exclude the use of it from the Declaration of the way and manner how we are justified by Faith yet it is so to exclude the Imposition of any Precise signification of it any other than is given it by the Matter treated of Without this every thing is left Ambiguous and uncertain whereunto it is Applied For Instance It is commonly said That Faith and New Obedience are the Condition of the New Covenant But yet because of the Ambiguous signification and various use of that Tern Condition we cannot certainly understand what is intended in the Assertion If no more be intended but that God in and by the New Covenant doth Indispensably require these things of us that is the Restipulation of a good Conscience towards God by the Resurrection of Christ from the Dead in order unto his own Glory and our full Enjoyment of all he Benefits of it it is Unquestionably true But if it be intended that they are such a Condition of the Covenant as to be by us perform'd antecedently unto the Participation of any Grace Mercy or Priviledge of it so as that they should be the Consideration and Procuring Causes of them that they should be all of them as some speak the Reward of our Faith and Obedience it is most false and not only contrary to express Testimonies of Scripture but Destructive of the Nature of the Covenant it self If it be intended that these things tho' promised in the Covenant and wrought in by the Grace of God are yet Duties Required of us in order unto the Participation and Enjoyment of the full End of the Covenant in Glory it is the Truth which is asserted But if it be said that Faith and New Obedience that is Works of Righteousness which we do are so the Condition of the Covenant as that whatever the one is ordained of God as the means of and in order to such or such an End as Justification that the other is likewise ordained unto the same End with the same kind of Efficiency Dr. O. Of. Justific or with the same Respect unto the Effect it is expresly contrary to the whole Scope and Express Design of the Apostle on that Subject But notwithstanding the various senses the word Condition is Capable of and how mischievous soever the Popish Arminian and Socinian Usages of it are there is a Sound Sense in which the Word may be used Relativa Quis Qui Quae Quod Juncta verbo futuri temporis faciunt suum Antecedens ' Conditionale Ot. Phil. Zepper Cynos Legal That Faith is a Condition if we may in our Interpreting of Scripture observe the Rules of the Juncts is as certain as if it had been expresly mention'd in the Holy Scriptures These words He that believes shall be saved Import a Condition For Relativum junctum Verbo futuri temporis conditionem facit which our Modern Divines who Reject the above-mentioned Errors do yet approve but in what Sense is our Business at this time to Explain Condition then may be Distributed into Legall and Gospel or Testamentary A Legall Condition is Obedience to the Preceptive Part of a Law giving Right to the Reward such was that of the Covenant of Works made with Adam and of this sort are the Popish Arminian and Socinian Conditions A Gospel Condition is of the same Kind with what Peculiarly belongs to Testamentary Disposition It is say the Civilians Lex Negotio apposita unde Ipsius Eventus pendet Or Lex addita negotio quae donec praestetur suspendit Eventum Which says Dr. Owen signifies such things as are added to the Principal Cause whereon its Operation is suspended As a man bequeaths an Hundred Pound unto another on Condition that he come or go to such a Place and Demand it This is no Valuable Consideration yet is the Effect of the Principal Cause or the Will of the Testator suspended thereupon To understand this Testamentary Condition we must consider that there is a Principal Cause whose Operation is suspended till a Rule added thereunto be observed There is the Promise or Donation of a Legacy which must be given according to the last Will of the Testator But to this Promise or Donation there is added a Rule that must be Regarded viz. That this Legacy be given either in such a time or Place or in such a way or manner This is the Lex addita Negotio that must be observed before the Legacy be actually given It is the Condition which till Perform'd suspends the Event namely the giving of the Legacy And as the Learned Mr. Baxter explains it 't is only the Modus Promissionis Donationis Cath. Thiol lib. 2. p. 248. vel Contractus where the fulfilling of the Promise is as Really suspended until this Modus be observed as if it had Resulted from the Observation of it Dispositio enim facta sub Conditione vel modo nibil valet nisi Conditio Nodus adimpleatur Nunquam â—nim actio in Essictu competit nisiprius oblat â praeslit â Cautione de made adimplendo quia alias locum habet Exceptio doli Mode deficiente extinguatur debitum perinde ac si deficeret Conditio Or. Phil. Zepper Cynos Legal A Disposition made on Condition or
Theologi Giessenses Hulsemannus Calovius and Dannhawerus as Men of Great Learning who made Faith to lye in a firm Perswasion of the Pardon of Sin and yet Affirm'd it to be the Instrumental Cause of Justification But 2. This will appear with more Conviction on an Equal Proposal of what the Reformers themselves have Deliver'd in Explicating the Notion they had of Justifying Faith whose Disquisitions for the Investigation of Truth were very Close and Profound They weighed the Difficulties on every hand and their Determinations were after much Consideration and with Great Judgment But this thing having been already done by the Learned Le Blank I must beseech my Reader to have Recourse unto him And yet for the help of such as have him not I will out of him and some other Judicious Writers on this Subject give the sense of the Reformed The Learned Robert Baronius in Le Blank Explicates the Notion about Fiducia thus First The Object of this Perswasion is not saith he only the Pardon of Sin to be Impetrated and had De objecto igitur sidei salvificae haec tenenda sunt Primo tenendum est Objectum fiduciae non solum esse Remissionem peccatorum impetrandam obtinendam sed etiam torum Remissionem jam Impetratam Secundo Fiduciam in haec duo tendere per duos distinctos actus quorum alter praecedit Justificationem ut ejus causa Instrumentalis alter eam sequitur ut ejus effectum Consequens Tertio actum fiducialem qui Justificationem praecedit ut ejus causa esse persuasionem de Christi satisfactione pro nobis in particulari deremissione peccatorum obtinendaper propter ejus satisfactionem Quarto Actum fiducialem qui Justificationem sequitur esse Persuasionem de remissiane Peccatorum jam Impetrata de nostrâ Perseverantiâ in eo statu usque ad finem vitae Baronius in Le Biank Thes de fid Justif Nat. § LXII but also as already obtain'd Secondly That this Perswasion respects these two Objects by two Distinct Acts The one of which goeth before Justification as its Instrumental Cause The other followeth it as its Effect and Consequent Thirdly The Fiducial Act which Precedes Justification as its Cause is a Perswasion of the Satisfaction of Christ for us in Particular and of the Remission of Sins to be obtain'd by and for his Satisfaction Fourthly This Fiducial Act which followeth Justification is a Perswasion of the Remission of Sins already Impetrated and of our Perseverance in that state to the end of our Lives Maresius saith That there is a Threefold Act of Faith distinctly to be Considered in our Justification The first Dispositive whereby I believe that Christ hath merited the Pardon of Sin for them that are his c. The Second is formally Justificatory whereby I who am now Sorrowing for my Sin and Purposing Amendment of Life do believe that all my Sins are at this present Forgiven The Third Consolatory whereby I Believe that all my Sins have been Pardoned and that I shall never more be in a State of Condemnation In the First sense Faith is before Justification In the Second Simultaneous with it In the Third it followeth it Paraeus expresseth himself to the same purpose Before the Act of Justification that is to say in order of Nature not of time Our Faith or Perswasion hath for its Object this Proposition de futuro My Sins shall be Forgiven me on my believing In the very Act of Justification it hath this Proposition de praesenti My Sins are Forgiven me After my Justification this de Praeterito My Sins have already been Pardoned The Authors of the Censure Omnes autem isti viz. Bellarmious Socinus Remonstrantes adversus Vmbram suam pugnant contra Chimaeram quam sibi confixerunt tela sua dirigunt supponentes nos statuere peccata nostra quoad efficaciam deleri priusquam credamus c. Censur Conf. Rem c. 11. p. 159. do on this occasion declare That the Remonstrants Fight against their own Shadow against a Chimaera of their own feigning when they insinuate as if we held that our Sins were efficaciously blotted out before we believe and that then we are Justified when we Believe that they are blotted out From which absurd Opinion 't would follow that the Remission of Sin was neither the whole nor a part of our Justification but that our Justification was somewhat after it Which cannot be allowed unless Justification be taken for the Sense of Justification in our selves or for a Manifestation or Declaration of it unto others We do not therefore say That that Perswasion by which we are Justified is of the Remission of Sins already had Or that the Object of this Perswasion is the Pardon of Sin before obtained But that Perswasion by which we all believe our Sins to be in praesenti forgiven us not properly in praeterito or in futuro altho' both belong to Justifying Faith yet not to the formal Act of Justification as we usually Express it Wherefore when the Mercy of God and the Pardon of Sin is offer'd to us in the Gospel through Christ we are not only in the General Perswaded that all who believe shall have their Sins forgiven them But he that savingly believes doth firmly perswade himself that the Promise of Pardon doth belong to him and is received by that very Act of Faith and accordingly then his Sin is forgiven him and that Blessedness spoken of in Rom. 6.7 made his Thus the Remission of Sin and a Perswasion of that Remission are in a Saving Believer at the same time But he who is Perswaded that if he believes he shall be Justified is not therefore as yet Justified Unless he doth Actually and in praesenti believe That that Righteousness is given him which he Receives with the same Act of Faith What he afterwards believes de praeterito doth not Justifie him but supposes him to be already Justified All these Acts are of one and the same Justifying Faith The First Disposes for Justification The Second Properly Justifieth The Third Quiets Conscience according to that in Rom. 5.1 2. From what hath been here said it 's apparent that there is no force at all in this Socinian and Arminian Objection against us for they oppose us as if we assign'd to Justifying Faith one only single Act whereas nothing can be more manifest than that we make them three Distinct Acts whence it 's easie enough to Conceive how Justifying Faith is a Perswasion of the special Mercy of God to be de futuro obtain'd and which in praesenti by the very Act of Believing is Perceiv'd This Fiducia or Perswasion as Described by the Remonstrants to be a firm Belief that it 's not possible for any to escape Eternal Death and attain to Everlasting Life any other way than by Jesus Christ and as he hath Prescribed is not a Justifying it is but an Historical or Dogmatick Faith It only respects
what is Future not what is Past or Present nor doth it beget in the Minds of Believers any thing certain of the Impetration of Salvation but only of its Possibility Manner Censur Confes Rem c. 11. p. 158 159 c. and Reason c. So far the Censure of the Remonstrants Confession By what I have here gather'd out of Le Blank and some others it 's manifest That tho' the Reformed took into the Description they gave of Justifying Faith the Perswasion of the Pardon of Sin yet Generally they Agreed in Denying Justification to be before it The Methods they took for the clearing thus much you see were divers Zanchy Bucerus is lib. de Reconcil Ecclesiarum iâ— Artic. de Justific mul tis Demonstrat fidem 〈◊〉 fiducia differre quan quam sempe sint ambae in separabiliter Conjunctae Zanch. Oper. Tom. 7. de Persever Sanctor p. 354. following the Excellent Martin Bucer held Faith and Fiducia to be Inseparably conjoyn'd but yet the one different from the other Beza and Garisiolius took this Fiducia or Firm Perswasion to be an Inseparable Effect of Faith And they who made it the the Formal Reason and the Justifying Act considered the Objects of this Perswasion distinctly as the Pardon was either Future de praesenti or de praeterito As it was a Pardon that either should be Or as then actually had Or as what had been before and so made the Perswasion of a Pardon to be had Antecedaneous to Justification But as de praesenti obtained Simultaneous with it And the other after it That tho' they Defined it by Perswasion of a Pardon already had yet made it not the Justifying Act. The utmost Point to which they went was That this Fiducia or Particular Perswasion of Forgiveness de praesenti was Simultaneous and in the same Instant of Nature with Justification which is a Motion contrary unto and destructive of the Antinomian Error as hereby it 's made impossible for an Elect Person to be actually justified in the sight of God one Instant of Nature before he be by Faith United unto Christ that every such person so long as he is in a state of Unbelief and Unregeneracy is unjustified is in a state of Condemnation and under the Curse of the Law This particular is very clearly expressed by the Learned Dr. Ames who saith That this Justifying Faith doth Fides ista Justificans suâ Vaturâ producit atque adeo onjunctam secum habet specialem ac certam persuesionem de gratia ac miserecordia Dei in Christo unde etiam per istam persuesionem Fides justificans non malè saepe describitur ab Orthodoxis praesereim cum impugnant generalem illam Fidem â—ui omnia tribuunt Pontisicii Ame. Medul l. 7. c. 27. § 19. of its own Nature beget and therefore hath conjoyn'd with it a special and sure Perswasion of the Grace and Mercy of God in Christ whence it is oft described by the Orthodox to be such a Perswasion especially when they oppugn that General Faith to which the Papists ascribe every thing Or as Le Blank hath it If any enquire Sed siquis jam quaerat cur Fidem Justificantem difiniunt â—b Actu qui revera non juâ—tificat sid siquitur jamfictam Justificationent potius quam ab â—â—lo quo revera justisicamur ad â—stud â—o videntur inducti quod â—ctus iste posterior praecidentem supponat clarius Fidei perâ—ectionem explicet ad coâ—solationem sidelium maxime faâ—iat c. Thes de Fid. Just â—at § 68. why they define Justifying Faith by an Act that doth not really justifie but follows Justification rather than by an Act by which we are justified It seems very evident they were induced thereunto by these considerations namely That that last Act praesupposes the former and doth more clearly explicate the entire nature of Faith and contribute more to the comfort of Believers In a word this Assurance of the pardon of sin was the more insisted on by the Reformers because so much opposed by the Papists with whom the Controversie then mostly was So far Le Blank To give a more particular Account of the the Lesser Differences among the First Reformers as well as among our Modern Divines and show how they variously explicated the Doctrine of Justification by Faith being more to gratifie the Curiosity of some than satisfie the Consciences of any I will wave it and go on to The second That many Fears and Doubts are consistent with Justifying Faith Tho' they made Justifying Faith to be a firm perswasion of the pardon of sin yet they meant not such a perswasion as was so exclusive of all Doubts and Fears about our Salvation that whoever in the least doubted was destitute of Faith This Perswasion saith Dr. Amés as to the sense of it doth not always accompany Faith For it may be and often is either through the weakness of Judgment or by reason of many Temptations and Troubles of Spirit that he who savingly believes and is by Faith justified in the sight of God may for a time judging of himself by what he feels conclude that he neither savingly believes nor is reconciled to God Thus much the Dr. adds immediately after he had told us that many who were Orthodox described Faith by a perswasion of the Grace and Mercy of God in Christ whereby he seems to insinuate a distinction to be between the Perswasion of Pardon and the sense of that Perswasion as if they who had not the sense of it might yet have the perswasion And it must be granted that there is somewhat of this nature obvious to the Experience of those Divines who are most conversant with troubled Consciences For it is commonly observed by them that godly persons even when under the Horror of Despair crying out They shall be damned if asked whether they will part with what Interest they have in Christ will answer they 'll not do it for a World which intimates as if they had a secret perswasion of pardon tho' they wanted a sense of it which the first Reformers explained by distinguishing between the Habit and Act of Saving Faith True Justifying Faith say they may be taken in a two-fold sense 1. For the Habit it self or for that power which is by the Holy Ghost infused into the hearts of the Elect. Or 2. For the Act which proceeds from that Quality Habit or Power by which we are said Actually to believe in Christ Or that by which we do by an actual perswasion believe in him That Faith in Scripture is oft taken for an Act no one doubts That it is an Habit Power or Quality those Scriptures evince which say The Just shall live by Faith And Without Faith it is impossible to please God For the Just when asleep and by an actual Faith think not on Christ do yet then live by Faith and please God Faith is also in the Scriptures call'd Science Knowledge
more moderate judged of Amsdorffius we shall see enough to oblige us to think they meant the same thing and that the Controversie was more owing unto the mistakes and misrepresentations made of one another than to any Real Differences amongst them George Major to vindicate himself from the Charge brought against him Major in Confessione Publicè editâ Disputationibus testatus est nunquam se ita sensisse nunquam ita docuisse sed totum Justificationis nostrae negotium salutis Beneficium in solidum acceptum retulisse referre miserecordiae Divinae atque unici Salvatoris nostri Jesu Christi merito idque solâ fide aâ—cipi quam bona opera ut fructus certissimi sequantur Quin imò disertè testatus est se positione illâ quâ videret aliquos offende deinceps non usurum Melch. Adam Vit. Major emits a Confession of his Faith and at Publick Disputations declares He never taught as Illyrious c. suggested nor ever held any such Doctrimes but always believ'd That the whole of our Justification and Salvation must be ascribed to the Mercy of God and Merit of Jesus Christ our only Saviour and that it is receiv'd only by Faith attended with Good Works as indubitable Fruits thereof further protesting that seeing this Proposition Good Works are necessary to Salvation was offensive he would never use it more On the other hand Kromayer mentions some excusing Amsdorffius they being of Opinion Sunt qui Amsdorffium excusant ac si bona opera perniciosa dixtrit ad salutem per accidens quatenus Fiducia in Operions collocetur Krom Theol. Pos Po. Art 12. de bon oper he held Good Works to be pernicious to Salvation only by Accident as men place their Trust and Confidence in them And adds that Amsdorffe in a Book written in the German Tongue against George Major complains of his being unrighteously reproached by Major George Major saith he so interprets me as if I had taught that Good Works are a hinderance to Salvation and a shame to a Christian God forgive him I never believed nor so much as thought that our Opinion should have been so falsly and untrully reprepresented Such ungodly words should not be mentioned or heard in a Christian Church Thus they both complain of Misrepresentation which gave little or no Relief for there being amongst 'em many Forming of Parties and Factions what he who best understands his own sense avers is not to be regarded The Accuser tho' under the Government of his Passions and knows least of his Adversary obtains the greatest Credit with the generality which occasioned Adamus to say Sed quae est hominum Credulitas ac calumniae efficacitas effugere suspicionem Doctrime diversae nunquam potnit Adeo verum est illud Calumniare Audacter semper aliquid haeret Melch Adam Vit. Maj. That such is the Credulity of most such the power of Calumny that Major could never wholly free himself from unjust suspicions So true is that saying Calumniare audacter semper aliquid haeret However tho' there were different Opinions amongst them managed with most violent Heats they were rather about words and lesser matters than about what was substantial Kromayer ubi supra as the Formula Concordiae in Kromayerus has it The first Schism amongst certain Divines was occasioned by some mens asserting Good Works to be necessary to Salvation that it 's impossible for any to be saved without them and no one ever was And others taught that Good Works were hurtful Another Schism arose amongst some about the words Necessary and Free one Party holding that the word Necessary is not to be affirm'd of our New Obedience for that is not to proceed from Necessity or Constraint but from a Free Spirit Others plead for the Retaining this word because New Obedience is not left to our pleasure to render it as we list for the Regenerate themselves are bound to New Obedience This being the true state of the several Controversies about Good Works which were held to be Necessary to Salvation by George Major to be Free by Andreas Musculus and to be Hurtful by Amsdorffius The Formula proceeds to a Decision thus We reject and condemn these following Phrases Good Works are necessary to Salvation No one was ever sav'd without them It is impossible to be saved without Good Works We do also reject and condem that most offensive Phrase as pernicious to Christian Discipline That Good Works hinder our Salvation We Believe Teachâ— and Confess Credimus docemus proficemur omnes quidem homines praecipuè vero eos qui per Spiritum Sanctum Regenerati sunt Renovati ad BONA OPERA facienda DEBITORES esse Et in hâc sententiâ vocabula illa NECESSARIVM DEBERE OPORIERE recte usuâ—pantur c. that all men more especially they who are Regenerated and Renewed by the Holy Spirit are bound to do Good Works And that in this case these words Necessary Ought Obliged are rightly used even with respect to them that are Renewed and are agreeable to the Form of sound words And yet nevertheless these words Necessity Necessary when spoken of the Regenerate must not be understood as if they imported the same with Coaction or Force but only of that Obedience which is Due to which we are Bound and Obliged which true Believers as Renewed do perform not by the Compulsion and Force of the Law but spontaneously with a Free Spirit in as much as they are no longer under the Law but Grace They condemn not the men as Embracers of Unsound Doctrine but reject and condemn the usage of some unsafe and hurtful Phrases all holding Good Works to be a Duty to which we are obliged by the holy Commandment not to be perform'd by Force and Constraint but freely not to be trusted in for our Justification or Salvation and yet springing out necessarily of a True and Lively Faith are acceptable unto God From what hath been collected out of the Writings of the first Reformers we may see that the Antinomians can find no place to shelter themselves under their shadow for tho' they asserted that Justifying Faith lay in the perswasion of the forgiveness of sin yet they did consistently enough with this Notion deny that Pardon was before Faith or that Fears and Doubts and Justifying Faith could not stand together or that a man whilst remaining under the Reigning Power of his sins could have Faith They were positive that the Justifying Act of Faith was in order of Nature as most antecedent or at least simultaneous as others with Justification that true Believers were continually conflicting with Fears and Doubts and that that Faith which was not fruitful in producing Good Works was not a Saving 't was a Devilish Faith Nor did they make it the duty of all men in the World immediately to believe their sins were pardoned But held convictions of sin arising from the Knowledge of the Law to be
Rule of the Promise is accepted Besides there is a double consideration of Faith and of Good Works There is a Faith perfected with Love and Obedience and a Faith Inchoate a bare Assent without Love and Obedience There are Works answering the Rule of Duty in every respect conform to the Commands and there are Works which tho' Imperfect may justly be denominated Good to which by the Rule of the Promise the Reward belongs Faith Perfected or which hath Love and Obedience for its Formal Reason by which alone saith St. Paul we are justified in opposition to Works is the same say these Socinians with what St. James means by Works so that the Works Paul excludes from having an Interest in our Justification are such as are conform to the Rule of Duty Vid. Crel in Rom. 8.32 Gal. 2.16 1 Cor. 1.30 and absolutely perfect The Faith St. James affirms to be insufficient for our Justification is an Imperfect Faith without Works and the Works by which St. James saith we are justified is Faith inform'd with such Works as are conform'd to the Rule of the Promise This in short is the Socinian Scheme viz. Faith is an Act of the Will having for its Essential Form Hope Love and Obedience which tho' imperfect as not fully conform to the Rule of Duty and therefore no way Meritorious yet as Answering the Law of the Reward or Rule of the Promise is perfect and is a Cause not Instrumental but sine quâ non of our Justification By this Notion they frame of Justifying Faith they make it one Moral Habit comprizing within its own nature every Good Work and when they assert Justification to be only by Faith they in doing so raise Good Works to the dignity of being a Causa sine quâ non of Justification By the word Faith they understand Trust Hope Love and Obedience and consequently to be Justified by Faith is to be Justified by our Trust Hope Love Obedience or Good Works The Arminians are of the same mind with the Socinians for in their Apology they freely declare Et sant si quis â—a quae à Socino dicuntur in bâc materiâ sine gratià sine odio expendát is velit nolit confiteri tandem cogetur eum in substantia Rei cum Reformatis consentire manente hoc solum Descrimine causam semper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exeipe Exam. Censur cap. 10. pag. 114. That whoever will impartially exaamine the Socinian Notion in this matter cannot but confess that Socinus as to the substance of this Doctrine excepting that one particular about the External Procuring Cause of our Justification holds the same with the Reformed But how boldly soever the Arminian assert an Agreement between Socinus and the Reformed their Assertion can import no more than a Free Acknowledgment that there is a Harmony between themselves and the Socinians For the Reformed who place Faith in the Will as well as in the Vnderstanding and make it to be a Work do by no means allow of its Justifying us as a Work but exclude all Works from being either an Instrumental Cause or a Causa sine quâ non or any other cause whatsoever of our Justification And they that confine Faith to the Understanding hold that Faith is not a Work and therefore cannot justifie as such whereby they effectually destroy Justification by Works and set themselves at the greatest distance from the Arminian and Socinian Errors Excellent Camero hath deliver'd the sense of them who make the Vnderstanding the only Subject of Faith with much clearness assuring us That we must abide by this that Faith is not a Work The Papists saith he think they press us with this Argument viz. seeing Faith is a Work the asserting that we are Justified by Faith can import nothing less than that we are Justified by some Work There are others who profess to abhor nothing more than this Popish Doctrine who confess That Faith is a Work but then add that it doth not Justifie as a Work But the Scriptures do always distinguish Faith from Works yea oppose Faith to Works in the matter of our Justification And the Papists themselves when they say we are Justified partly by Faith and partly by Works unless they will be guilty of a very gross absurdity must distinguish the one from the other Faith therefore is not a Work that it is called the Work of God Joh. 6.29 is only by way of Allusion as Paul Rom. 3.27 calls Faith a Law The Jews continually glorying in their Works in the Law in their Prerogatives as they were the Children of Abraham Christ in answer unto them having attributed Justification to Faith useth their own words who expecting to be Justified by Works Christ doth as it were thus speak unto them Will ye have Life by your Works then work this Work Believe in the Son of God However there is this difference between Faith and Works Faith gives nothing to God it only receives Works are an Eucharistical Sacrifice which we offer unto God Faith is the Instrument it is as the Hand of the Soul by which we receive saving Benefits from God Laying this Foundation we go on and affirm That Justification is by Faith not by Works 1. The Apostle when he doth professedly dispute of Justification he never opposes the Works of Holiness or Sanctification unto Works of the Law which undoubtedly he would have done if he had thought that any thing in our Justification must be attributed to Works His Adversaries making it their business to expose him as one who by by his Doctrine le ts loose the Reins to all manner of Licensciousness if he had thought that Justification had been by any Works whatsoever could easily have answered them by saying He denyed not Justification by Works but earnestly contended for its being by the Works of Sanctification But that he never did for healways opposed Faith to Good Works 2. All our Salvation consists in the Free-Pardon of Sin which God in the Gospel doth offer unto men not singly but so as thereby to invite them to Repentance If there had been no place for the Remission of Sin a Sinner could never entertain a thought about Repentance and in this respect would be in the same case with the Devils who Repent not because without the least hope of Pardon God therefore to take away all Dispair from men offers them the Forgiveness of Sin that is to say in his Son Jesus Christ For no Remission without a Sacrifice and no Expiatory Attoning Sacrifice besides that of Christ Now what Faculty of the Soul is that by which the Remission of Sin is Perceived None surely but Faith 'T is Faith which Believeth God who maketh the Promise Hope is that which expests the thing Promised But Charity beholding the Goodness of him who Promises in the Excellency of the Promise Loves him Whrefore seeing 't is Faith only which acquiesces in the Free Promise of God through Jesus
A Peaceable Enquiry INTO THE NATUR E OF THE Present Controversie Among our United Brethren ABOUT Justification PART I. By STEPHEN LOBB A Lover of Peace and Truth Phil. 2.3 Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than themselves LONDON Printed for John Dunton at the Raven in the Poultrey 1693. THE EPISTLE TO THE READER Reader BE not surprized or wonder that some Controversie is risen among our United Brethren For when such a Subject as this is started it is no fault to be striving who shall be most concerned in it It hath been observed of the Christians that when they were freed from Heathenish Persecution they fell into pieces among Themselves And when were there greater stirs about the Religion now ours than at the beginning of the Reformation It hath pleased God at this time to open a Door to the Dissenters for Liberty And it hath pleased the same good God also we hope to give us that Grace to make a better use of it than they under Constantine seeing the great advantage or fruit which we have made our business to reap from it is an open published Concord a Concord which some of the wisest both of Presbyterian and Independent have sought formerly under divers Conjunctures of Providence and could not obtain A benefit which the strength in Union the beauty in Truth the life in Love the interest in Number the comfort in Fellowship do proclaim A Blessing which none of us are worthy of and none can sufficiently prize but by a suitable endeavour to preserve it As for the Difference between some of us which I would rather call a Contention only who shall be most Orthodox it is no Bone cast among the Brethren as some would suggest to break our Union for the Rise of the Controversie was before the Union It was we know upon the Printing over again Dr. Crisps Works the Offence was given or taken The Dr. being a holy good man there are several of our Brethren were willing to have them candidly received When Gataker and others abroad have branded them for Antinomianism The truth is that freedom which England hath had those Disputes a while lying dead for some late Years from being exercised in Polemical Divinity hath given occasion to our Divines for their attending of Practical which is much for our Advantage seeing this Nation is herein allowed above any to excel Nevertheless while these Controversies have slept there are some who think the Enemy hath come and sowed Arminian Socinian and Antinomian TARES and we by disuse are hard put to it to discern between them and the Wheat and consequently by mistake are loading one another with Charge of Errour I do not like I must confess this Censorious Spirit wheresoever I meet it But the Zeal I find in our Brethren generally for the Reformed Doctrines according to the Articles of the Church of England the Assemblies Confession of Faith and the like against each of these Errours mentioned which we look on really as dangerous to mens Souls and therefore are so shy of them I do own and approve And it is the very design therefore of my Writing to Vindicate them herein that howsoever they differ in their Conceptions or Explications of the same Doctrines there are none of them truly chargeable with such Errour when they would fasten it one upon the other I begin with Antinomianism in these first Sheets because that gave the Occasion and the very same Method which you see me take in that and I need not tell it I intend to take also with Arminianism and Socinianism I feel no delight in filling my Margin with Quotations but such is the Nature of the Discourse that the many Authorities used for my Readers satisfaction became necessary and must be my Apology From my Study at Hampsted July 26. 93. S. L. ERRATA PAge 24. line 6. dele the p. 26. l. 4. dele and p. 48. Marg. l. 14. r. Apol p. 90. l. 4. r. Jurists p. 110. l. 1. r. Notion p. 115. l. 30. r. two A Peaceable Enquiry INTO THE Nature of the Present Controversie among our United Brethren about JUSTIFICATION CHAP. I. The Excellency of Peace and Love Luther's Opinion of it The Mischief of Strifes and Contentions in the Church Instanced in the Rise and Progress of the Meletians and Arians The Cure Difficult yet Necessary to be Endeavor'd THE Churches Peace is a Blessing so very Great and Valuable that he who sets but a Right Estimate on its Real Worth cannot think much to hazard even his own Private Quiet Particular Interests and Good Name which it is like to cost him to Obtain or Defend it By Peace I do not mean only a Freedom from Persecution which is a Mercy for which we should not cease Praising God but the Peace of Christians between themselves so oft mentioned in the Holy Scriptures Commanded and Encouraged Be of one Mind Live in Peace and the God of Peace shall be with you The Lord of Peace himself give you Peace 2 Thess 3.16 always by all means As Christians are United unto Christ their Head by Faith so should they be by Love United to one another Endeavoring to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace Ephes 4.3 Love Concord and Peace are the support of all Societies of what kind soever The Heathen Philosophers were sensible of it Jamb Vit. Pyth. Id. Protropt c. 19. Pythagoras esteemed Amity Love Friendship to be the most effectual Bond that Cemented his Followers And many amongst the most Barbarous have zealously expos'd themselves to great Calamity out of officiousness to their Particular Communion Gâ—â—ial Dier lib. 7. c. 26. Alexander ab Alexandro gives several Instances hereof He begins with the Arvall Fraternity who were Joyn'd by such a Bond of Friendship together that neither Prosperity nor Adversity nor any other thing but Death could Dissolve it and tells us of some others that were so link'd in Love that they would not only Mourn with such as were in Adversity and Rejoyce with those in Prosperity but Die for One another and frequently would Die with them that Died for which reason they were called COMMORIENTES Peace among Christians as it is the Support of Societies so it sets forth the Beauty and Glory of Christian Religion to all Observers and by Uniting us in our Affections Prayers Counsels and Practices too so far as Agreed enables us the more successfully to serve our Lord Jesus Whence it is that the most Eminent for Learning and Piety have in all Ages of the Church strenuously Contended for it Among the Reformed Luther himself tho' a Man of a hot Temper and much Imbroyl'd not only by the Papists but the Zuinglian and Calvinistical Reformers at last with much Fervour in a Letter to the Helvetian Churches Pleads thus for Peace and Concord I have saith he Perused your Letters with the Greatest
but these are enough to make it Evident that the First Reformers denied the Gospel to be a Promise of Eternal Life on Condition of our keeping the Commandments which must be Understood to be in that sence in which the Papists held it that is they denied our Good Works to be such a Condition of Eternal Life as gave Right unto it as a Reward which may be done by them who are not Antinomians which is very clear from the Scholia of the Reformed on the Nineteenth Canon of the Council which is to this effect Let him be accursed who holds that nothing is Commanded in the Law but Faith That all other things are Indifferent and that the Ten Commandments belong not to Christians To which they Answer That there is no such Dogma held by the Divines who Subscrib'd the Augustane Confession that none but one Islebius was tainted with this False and Wicked Opinion that Luther oppugned and confuted this Error and brought its Author to a Recantation and that the other Divines rejected it 2. The word Condition is also taken in this very sense by the Arminians who argue so very Plausibly from the Grant of it against some Important Doctrines of the Christian Faith that many Orthodox and Judicious Divines are afraid to Use it They make it If I may use the word a Legal Condition that is Obedience to the Preceptive Part of a Law giving Right to the Reward It is that thing which being Performed gives Right to the Blessing Promised Or Conditio quatenus praestita est aliquomodo Medium sieri dici potest quo Consequimur Rem quae sub Conditione Promittitur Exam. Censur Cap. 10. P. 112. Conditio cujus Praestatio Medium sive causa salutis aliquomodo dici potest non modò est Gratiosa per se sed Gratia ad Eam praestandam perpetim necessaria est Praemium Praestanti promissum extra supra omnem Comparationem est Vb. sup Cap. 8. P. 95. it is that which being Perform'd is a means by which we attain to what was on Condition promised Again Condition whose Performance may be called a Mean or Cause of Salvation is not only in it self full of Grace but Grace is always necessary for the Enabling us to perform it and the Reward Promised thereunto Infinitely exceeds it However from the Grant that our Faith is such a Condition of Eternal Life they triumphantly oppugn some Important Truths Particularly Si enim Christus nobis meritus dicatur Fidem Regenerationem tum Fides Conditio esse non poterit quam à Peccatoribus Deus sub Comminatione Mortis exigeret imo tum Pater ex vi meriti istius obligatus fuisse dicatur necesse est ad Conferendum nobis Fidem Essiciendum in nobis omnia quae nobis sub Comminatione Mortis praescribit quo nihil absurdius Cogitari potest Exam. Cens Cap. 8. P. 59. they thus argue against Christ's Meriting Faith and Regeneration for the Elect. If Christ merited Faith and Regeneration for us say they then Faith cannot be a Condition which God exacts from Sinners under the Commination of Eternal Death They go Higher affirming That if Christ purchased the First Grace for Us then the Father by virtue thereof is obliged to give us Faith and work all these things in us which are prescribed under the Threatning of Death Than which nothing can be more absurd Such a Collation of Faith flowing from Christ's Merit doth effectually destroy the Divine Constitution by which Faith is enjoyned Sinners with a Promise of Life and Threatning of Death Thus much from the very Nature of the thing is most apparent If Christ be in this way our Saviour he can't be our Law-giver nor can our Faith or Obedience be Acts of Duty they can be but Effects of Christ's Merit Again they add That the Prescription of a Condition and an Efficacious working it in them to whom it is prescrib'd are Incompatible That Condition is not a Condition Conditio non est Conditio quae ab Eo qui Eam praescribit in Eo cui praescribitur efficitur Merus Effectus Praescribentis non potest esse Conditio Praescripta nedum Praestita Exam. ub sup P. 106. which is wrought in Him to whom it is prescribed even by the Prescriber The mere Effect of a Prescriber cannot be a prescribed much less a Performed Condition He that gives a Condition to another will that it be performed by that other If it be wrought in Him Haec Actio ludicra tota vix Scaena digna est it ceaseth to be a Condition and he that wrought it doth by that very Act null it 's being a Condition because he will not have it done by that other but will Himself work it in Him Right Reason dictates thus much unto us No Wise Man will act thus Legislator serius totam suam Legislationem ludibrio exponit cum Conditionem Praescribit iis quos irrevocabiliter Praemio afficere in quibus quam Praescribit Conditionem ipse efficere vult nor can any thing be more ludicrous these things are scarce fit for a Play That Law-giver who prescribes a Condition to them whom he has Irrevocably Designâ—d for a Reward will expose his Legislation to the utmost Contempt They carry it yet further asserting This Condition to be Inconsistent with the Particular Election of a Select Number of Persons A Condition Conditio omnis Stulte Ridicule Proponitur iis qui nominatim praecise jam ante destinati sunt saluti Exam. Cens c. 9. p 102. Destinatio Irrevocabilis ad vitam Promissio vitae sub Conditione non nisi Stulte Conjunguntur Exam. Voi sup p. 104. say they is Foolishly yea Ridiculously Proposed to them who are Particularly and by Name Ordain'd to Salvation An Irrevocable Decree of Salvation and the Promise of Life on Condition are most weakly Put together A Condition they say is that which when Performed gives Right unto a Reward That there is Grace glorified in that the Reward Excels Infinitely excels what is Requir'd of us as a Condition and that help is vouchsafed for the Enabling us to Perform it But then they add That what is a Condition of our Interest in Christ's Merits must be what was not merited for us by Christ To make that a Condition of our Interest in the Benefits merited by Christ that was merited by Christ is an Inconsistence Or to Affirm that to be a Condition Requir'd of us which is not Performed by us but wrought in us by him that Prescribes it is the Greatest Folly Or to make the Salvation of any to Depend upon a Condition that may or may not be Performed and yet assert the certainty of their Salvation flowing from the Unalterable Decree is Ridiculous This is the Improvement the Arminians make of the Gospels being a Promise of Eternal Life on Condition namely the denying Christ's meriting the first
a full Perswasion all which reside in the heart when we do not actually think of God As Scientia is by Philosophers put into the praedicament of Quality Thus a Child in whom can be no Acts of Knowledge Sense or Perswasion has yet the Spirit the Power or Habit of Faith as All the Learned do confess particularly Martin Bucer Besides they are very particular and distinct in their Endeavours to make it manifest that Faith and Fears are consistent For they suppose Faith to be oft conflicting with Doubts and Fears which they to continue the use of Zanchy's words thus solve There is no absurdity in asserting Faith to be a firm Perswasion and yet the Believer disturb'd with afflictive doubts for there being in everâ— Believer Flesh as well as Spirit when the Spirit prevails there is a sense of goodness sweetly refreshing the Soul a looking to the Gospel-Promise a relying on it an apprehending Eternal Life as prepared for him rejoycing in it But when the Flesh conquers there is a sight of sin and misery filling the Soul with the anguish of sorrow a view of its obnoxiousness to death at which he trembles fearing lest he die eternally which is occasioned by the weakness of our Faith which never whilst in this Life arrives to that degree of Perfection Zanch. Oper. Tom. 8 â—e 7. de Fide as to cure the Believer wholly of his Unbelief and Diffidence It 's true the first Believers have not explicated Justifying Faith as distinct from Assurance so clearly as our more Modern Divines have done amongst whom the Westminster Assembly in their Confession as Le Blanc hath well observ'd have excelled However they did carefully endeavour to express their Sentiments so as to prevent the despair of such who tho' sound Believers were afflicted with many fears and doubts about the pardon of their sins and their interest in the Mercy of God They insisted on a perswasion a firm belief of the forgiveness of sins but on such a perswasion as admitting of different degrees was in many so weak and feeble as not to be always perceptible A Notion as they explicated it easie enough to be understood For in other Instances what more common than to distinguish between Acts and Habits That the Acts are seen when the Habits from whence they flow lies undiscover'd Every one knows whether he believes this or the other Report loves this or the other person as well as whether he seeth this or the other Object The Acts of the Understanding and Rational Appetite when exerted are as perceivable in their way as our Sensitive Acts. But then it should be minded that these Acts are oft look'd upon in their Habits and when actuated are commonly blended with such other as are conversant about contrary Objects and their prevalence over these other so inconsiderable that it 's not at all times discernable to which if we add the consideration of the World's Allurements Satan's many subtle Temptations c. it cannot but be that true Believers fall into great perplexities about the forgiveness of their sins which tho' great destroy not their Faith nor are they inconsistent with this firm perswasion Strong fears and many doubts may consist with a moral certainty of the same Truths How many have a moral certainty of the Immortality of their Souls and yet grievously tormented with amazing frights about it This very Point the Learned Mr. Baxter in discourse with me did thus illustrate It is saith he as with a Man so firmly chain'd to the top of a high Spire as to have the Greatest Certainty of his Fastness yet looking down could not but fear a Fall We may then easily perceive that from the making Faith to lie in a perswasion of the pardon of sin it cannot be justly inferred that whoever doubts of God's Mercy in Christ is destitute of Justifying Faith for this perswasion may be in the Habit where not in the Act and is consistent enough with strong fears and many doubts as the first Reformers expresly affirmed which is enough to free them from the Reproach of driving by their Doctrine every sound Believer who hath any doubts about his being pardoned into the Horrour of Despair Nor did they so describe Justifying Faith as to give unto any an occasion to expect Heaven whilst they lived under the Reigning Power of their sins On the contrary they held III. That none who continue to live under the Reigning Power of their Lusts had or whilst so can have Saving Faith 'T was constantly asserted by them That to true Justifying Faith whether strong or weak Life and Perpetuity were too essential and inseparable Properties the first is necessary that it may be a Living Faith exciting in the Believer the Life of Christ that is to say such a Life as stirred up in his heart such new and heavenly motions thoughts and desires conform to God's Law as drove out all earthly Affections Thus much they said was the Import of those Scriptures which speak of purifying the heart mortifying the flesh quickning of the spirit crucifying and burying the Old Man putting on the New The Holy Ghost in the Sacred Scriptures doth so very much press this one thing especially in the Epistles of James and John that it must be acknowledged that this is so Essential a Property of Faith that it cannot be true Justifying Faith without it as all of us unanimoustly hold These are the words of the Learned Zanchy De Persev Sanct. Confess p. 349. who in answer to an Objection against the Perseverance of the Saints carrying in it this very Calumny That the Protestant Doctrine is such as makes Repentance of nouse le ts loose the Reins to all manner of Profaneness rendring men so very secure as to embolden them to venture on sin contrary to the convictions of their Consciences doth further declare That true Justifying Faith cannot be where sin doth reign that sound Believers altho' they sin not as the wicked do Ipsorum vid. fidelium lapsus suapte naturâ aternâ morte esse dignissimos item displicere Deo item punitum iri à Deo c. Zanch. de pers Sanct. p. 159. yet the sins they fall into are in their own nature most worthy of Eternal Death Displease God and are punished by him The Fervour of the Holy Spirit in them much abated the flames of their Faith quenched their minds troubled let them therefore repent of their sins return to the Lord as Children to their Father not cut off from Christ nor wholly forsaken of the Holy Spirit Again This is the nature of true Faith to stir up in us true Repentance Zanch. Oper. Tom. 6. loc 5. de Fide p. 43. and inflame our hearts with Love to God and a Zeal to please him and promote his Glory to provoke us sincerely to love our Neighbour that as much as in us lieth we may live peaceably with all men that it fill our Souls with a
that will not love him But because of some difficulties it may so happen that a Man may be more discouraged with the present Labour than mov'd by future Advantages Love is therefore required with Faith as a Condition annex'd to the Divine Promise that by the fulfilling it we may attain Salvation but it 's no wonder that they who define Faith by our apprehending and applying Christ's Merit do exclude Love Slicht in 1 Cor. 13. v. 13. and in Heb. 11.6 and every other Good VVork from the Causes of our Salvation To speak accurately Faith is not the Instrumental Cause of our Justification and yet it is an Efficient not a Principal but the Causa sine quâ non of it whence it is that we are said to be Justified by Faith But this Faith under the New Testament is not as Frantzius dreams an Application of Christ's Merit but a Trust in God thro Christ whose nature is in hope of the Eternal Life promised by Jesus Christ to Obey him Disp 4. p. 103. Socin Synop. 2. Justisic So Smalcius against Erantzius As we must take heed lest we as many at this time do make Holiness of Life the Effect of our Justification in the fight of God So we must look to it that we believe not this Holiness to be our Justification Or that it is an Efficient or Impulsive Cause but only a Causa sine quâ non Our Good Works that is the Obedience we render unto Christ tho' they are not the Efficient Socin This de Justific or Meritorious Cause yet are they a Causa sine quâ non of our Justification before God and of our Eternal Salvation So far Socinus But tho' they make Justification by Faith to be the same with that by Good Works yet that they may reconcile this their Doctrine with what hath been delivered by the Apostle Paul who denieth Justification by Works they find it necessary to assert That we are in this Gospel-day under two Laws the one called the Law of Obedience or the Rule of Duty the other the Law of Reward or Punishment LEGES quae ad quodvis bene constitutum Regimen requiruntur sunt diplicis generis Primò sunt LEGES quibus praescribuntur subditis OFFICIA quomodo se quisque in suis actionibus gerere debeat seu quid cuique â—aciendum vel VVolzogenâ—us is full in delivering the Socinian sense on this Point In every well constituted Government saith he there are Laws of two sorts The first are such as shew the Subject's Duty what he must do and what he must not Omittendum sit Quae LEGES ad distinctionem caetirarum PRAECEPTA INTERDICTA vocantur Deind sunt LEGES quibus propo nuntur sidis ac morigeris sub ditis PRAEMIA pro ipsorun Obedientià ac malisivis merit paeâ—ae Haec duo LEGUN genera reperiuntur etiam iâ— Regno Christi Wolzog. In struct ad Lect. lib. N.T.c. â— These Laws to distinguish them from the other are called Praecepts and Prohibitions Then there are Laws by which Rewards are proposed to good Subjects for the Encouragement of their Obedience and Punishments threatned against the Disobedient Both these sorts of Laws or Rules are in the Kingdom of Christ Answerable to these two Laws or Rules of Duty and the Promise there is a twofold Obedience By the Rule of the Precept the highest most absolutely Perfect Obedience is injoyned By the Law of the Promise or Rule of the Reward Faith and Repentance with a certain purpose of Amendment is what entitles to the Reward Duplex dat Obedienti Prâ—eceptis Divinis prâ—standa ita duple Perfectionis consiratio Aâ—ra est utmo nunquâ— quicquam coâ—â—â—itta adversus Praecepta Dei altera est at in nullo ullius Peccati habitu haer Islam priorem c. Smalc contr Frantz Disp 12. p. 427. There is saith Salmâ—cius a two-fold Obedience and a double consideration of Perfection The first is that we never transgress or deviate from God's Commands The other is that no one Habit of Sin remain in us The first sort of Obedience we do not think necessary to Salvation it being sufficient if there be always a Tendency towards it The other is necessary to Salvation and its observance possible That God in distributing Rewards observes another Rule than that of the Praecept even that of the Promise which contains a Grant of the Reward to him who is upright in heart VVolzogenius doth in the plainest Terms affirm Christ saith he is our King but so that as all other Kings ought to be he is at the same time our Father and Faithful Pastor His Promises are limited by certain Conditions and yet these Conditions are not over Rigidly insisted on in those cases where somewhat of Ignorance or other Infirmity intervenes The Promise of Eternal Life Requires an Observation of his Commands but he knowing our Frailties will not impute to us our daily sins if so be there remains in us an Vpright Heart and True Repentance Walzog Instr ad util Lect. lib. N.T. c. 6. and a certain Purpose of Amendment By this Distinction they endeavour to Reconcile Paul and James Tho' Paul saith Socinus affirms That we are justified by Faith and not by the VVorks of the Law and James That we are not justified by Faith alone but by VVorks yet on an explication of the words Faith and Works the Agreement between them will be made manifest For Paul doth mean by Faith such a Trust in God through Christ as necessarily begets Obedience to his Commandments an Obedience that is as the Form and Substance of Faith and by Works he understands a Perfect Obserservance of the Divine Law and all its Praecepts By which because of the weakness of our Flesh none can be justified James by Faith means such an Assent as is imperfect and without Good Works and by Works not the most perfect but that Obedience only which is necessarily required of us that we may appear Just before him And accordingly Paul declares that we are not justified by those VVorks which are in all respects conform to the Law but by a Faith informed by Obedience James we are not justified by a Faith void of Good VVorks but by VVorks which tho' they are not most perfect yet are such as may be justly denominated Obedience or Good VVorks To this Effect Socinus doth oft express himself Lect. Sacr. Fragment de Justif. which compared with what I have taken out of VVolzogenius and Smalcius is as if it had been said That we must distinguish between the Law of Pracepts or the Rule of Duty and the Law of Rewards or Rule of the Promise That by the Law as it is the Rule of Duty Perfection in the strictest sense as exclusive of the least Dissonancy from the Command is required But by the Law of the Rewaerd or Rule of the Promise that Obedience which is with a sincere and upright heart answering the
Christ and apprehends the Forgiveness of Sin Justification is by the Holy Ghost ascrib'd only anto Faith However by the way it must be observ'd That no one doth certainly and seriously believe the Promise made unto him but he immediately Repents of his Sin For on his believing all occasion of Dispair is taken out of the way and such is the Excellency Beauty and Glory of the Promise as to take off the Heart from the Love of the World whence it may be truly said that we are Justifyed by Faith alone and that we are Sanctifyed by Faith alone for 't is Faith that purifyeth the Heart Act. 13.9 3. The reason why God forgives the Sins of the Penitent is this namely Because satisfaction is made to Gods Justice by Jesus Christ who has purchased this Grace for us But the satisfaction of Christ cannot be apprehended by us any other way but by Faith Justification therefore must be ascribed only unto Faith So far Camero There are other Arguments which he urgeth to this very purpose But from what he hath here delivered It 's plain that Faith not being an Act of the Will is not a Work but is distinguished from it and opposed unto it and that therefore when it is said we are Justified by Faith it cannot be that we are Justified by a work That Christs satisfaction hath purchased Pardon which can be apprehended by us no otherwise than by Faith that Faith is the Instrument or as the hand of the Soul by which we receive forgiveness That tho from this Faith Hope Love and Obedience immediately slow and are inseparable yet they are no cause at all of our Justification which is enough to make it manifest that one who is far from Antinomianism may deny Faiths being an Act of the Will and confine it wholly to the Understanding For Faith Hope and Love may be distinct Graces though whilst in this Life inseparable and so long as Hope Love and Gospel Obodience are held to be inseparable from Faith there is there can be no danger in placing Faith only in the Understanding But many Advantages against the Papist Arminian and Socinian to the Exaltation of the Glory of Free Grace are hereby obtained CHAP. VII A Summary of the Principal Antinomian Errors compared with the opposite Truths The present Controversie not with the Described Antinomians The Agreement between the Contending Brethren in Substantials suggested The Conclusion THese Doctrines I have thought meet to vindicate from the unrighteous charge of Antinomianism because by a giving them up for Antinomian not only many who abhor it are accused for being Abettors of it but some important Truths which strike at the very Root of this Error are represented to be Antinomian It hath been the care of the Papist Arminian and Socinian to insinuate into the minds of Persons less studied in these Controversies as if the Orthodox Protestant had in opposition unto them run into the Antinomian Extreme and have inserted in the Catalogue of Antinomian Errors several Gospel-Truths particularly the ensuing Assertions 1. That Jesus Christ is a Second Adam a Root Person and Publick Representative with whom the Covenant of Grace is made 2. That the Guilt as well as Punishment of Sin was laid on Christ 3. That the Covenant of Grace is not Conditional in that sense the Papists hold it 4. That Faith is a certain and a full Perswasion wrought in the heart of a man through the Holy Ghost whereby he is Assured of the Mercy of God promised in Christ that his Sins are forgiven him 5. That Iustifying Faith is not an Act of the Will but of the Understanding only Tho' the Papists for some special Reasons oppose not this Notion yet the Arminians and Socinians do to the end they may bring in Works among the Causes of our Justification These Assertions are of such a Nature as do really cut the very sinews of Popery and Socinianism as I have already in part cleared and hope more fully to evince in my Second Part But by those who deviate from the Truth all but the last have been heretofore and now the last is by men more Orthodox made the Source of Antinomianism the Spring and Fountain from whence the following Conclusions do naturally and necessarily flow Thus they infer from the First That Christ must be our Delegate or Substitute who Believed Repented and Obeyed to exempt the Elect from doing either as necessary to their Pardon and Salvation Second That Christ so took our Person and Condition on him as to have the Filth and Pollution of our Sins laid on him Third That the Promise of Pardon and Salvation is made to Sinners as Sinners Fourth That the Pardon of Sin was before Faith even whilst we are in the Heighth of Iniquity and Enemies against God and Despisers of Jesus Christ Fifth That We may have Saving Faith tho' our Wills remain onchanged and obstinately set against God These are the Antinomian Errors said to flow from the above-mentioned Assertions which if once granted we shall be necessitated to acknowledge that there will be no Vse at all of the Law nor of Faith Repentante Confession of Sin c. but we may live as we list and yet be saved But we have made it plainly to appear that these Points are so far from being Antinomian that they do carry with them a Confutation of that Error That the Reader may the more clearly see the Difference there is between the one and the other I will be very particular in shewing the opposition Assertion I. That Jesus Christ is a Second Adam a Root-Person and Publick Representative with whom the Covenant of Grace is made From this Assertion it necessarily follows that Christ must have a Spiritual Seed and be the Representative of that Seed so far as Adam would have been of his if he had perfectly obeyed And it is certain that if Adam had rendred the Required Obedience his Posterity would have been not only made Righteous and derive a Holy Nature from him but be also obliged to Personal Holiness In like manner so is it with the Posterity of the Secoud Adam The utmost then that can be fairly inferred from Christ's being a Second Adam c. is That he hath a Spiritual Off-spring That they be Justified by his Righteousness derive a New Nature from him and be obliged to a Personal Obedience The Opposition Antinomian Truth 1. Christ is our Delegate or Substitute 1. Christ is a Second Adam but not our Delegate or Substitute As the First Adam was the Head and Publick Representative of his Posterity but not their Substitute or Delegate so Christ tho' a Publick Repeesentative yet not our Substitute as D. O. doth excellently well show when he saith That Christ and Believers are neither One Natural Person nor a Legal or Political Person nor any such Person as the Laws Customs or Vsages of men do know or allow of They are One Mystical Person whereof