other instrument from acting or effecting till they are performed but not to give efficacy and power to his Testament If the gift be in diem the instrument receives not efficacy and power from the Time quando venit dies no more doth it per praestationem conditionis 3. Your terms of Faith 's giving power through the Spirit tell me that sure you still look at the wrong act of the Gospel not at its moral act of Conveyance or Donation but at its real operation on mans heart For neither Scripture nor Divines use to say The Gospel remitteth sin or justifieth by the Spirit Nor doth the Spirit otherwise do it then by enditing the Gospel unless by the Spirit you mean the Godhead in Essence and not in Personality Sanctification is ascribed to the Spirit as the efficient but so is not forgiveness and Justification Nor do I like your phrase as to sanctification it self That faith conveys efficacy and power to the Gospel through the Spirit For 1. I had rather say The Gospel and Spirit or the Spirit by the Gospel convey efficacy and power to faith then faith to the Gosâ—el 2. How faith should convey this through the Spirit is quite beyond my reach Doth the Spirit receive any influx from faith and thereby a power and then convey this to the Gospel from our faith But it s like you mean the Spirit doth it through faith §. 25. Mr Bl. SO that neither the Gospel nor faith in the Gospel should in this office of an instrument in Justification be denied their due honour The Gospel received by faith is a plenary instrument in this work and faith embracing the tender and promise of the Gospel The Gospel is an outward instrument saith Ravanelly faith an inward they both make up one instrument full and compleat yet faith is more aptly and fitly called an instrument Seeing that faith gives efficacy as an instrument to the Word the Word may be without faith and so no instrument at all but faith alway presupposeth the Word of promise it is not without its object §. 25. R. B. 1. HAd you first proved any such honour due to faith and so to man as to be the instrument of Justification yea and more fitly then the Gospel so to be called then you might fairly have thus concluded But I like not Arguments that have but one part being all Conclusion I will say more for the Gospels instrumentality Signum voluntatis Donatoris constituens jus ad beneficium Donatum etsi in diem vel sub conditione est Donatoris instrumentum maximè proprium Sed Testamentum Christi est signum voluntatis diviâ—â— jus nostrum ad Christum Justificationem passivam constituens viz. sub conditione actualiter quando praestatur conditio Ergo Testamentum Christi est instrumentum hujus donationis maximè proprium For the major examine it by all the qualifications of an instrument and it will appear undoubted 1. Subservit causae principali scilicet voluntati donatoris 2. Actio ejus principalis sunt eadem actio scilicet Donatio vel constituere debitum beneficii 3. The true definition of an instrument agrees to it Instrumentum est quod ex directione alterius principalis agentis influit ad produceudum effectum se nobiliorem Vel per quod causa alia operatur sic ut hoc elevetur ad effectum se nobiliorem seu ultra perfectionem suam actionis suae 4. Yea it is the most perfect instrument for instrumentum eo melius est quanto magis est fini proportionatum ut Aquin. 1.2 ae q. 188. a. 7. But Gods Legal grant is most perfectly proportioned to the conveyance of right to Christ and his benefits Prove this much of faith as to Justification before you again tell the world that faith is more fitly called an instrument of Justification 2. If the Gospel received by faith be a plenary instrument of justifying as you say Then 1. How is faith more fitly called an instrument 2. Then Recipere Evangelium is instrumentum justificandi maximè proprium as you think making the Gospel a compleat instrument 3. If faith and the Gospel be both full compleat instruments then either ejusdem effecti per eandem actionem vel per diversas not per eandem actionem For 1. Then they should be one instrument 2. Their esse is so different that their operari must needs be different 2. If per diversas actiones then coordinate or subordinate You think subordinate it seems and that faith gives power and efficacy to the Gospel If so then faith doth modo sensu nobiliore Justificare quam Testamentum But that 's farre from truth For 1. It is most proper to say The Covenant-grant justifieth or the Law of grace justifieth but it is less proper to say Faith justifieth and Scripture never saith so that I know of but that we are justified by faith 2. You say your self that faith is but a passive instrument but the Testament is active morally in its kinde 3. Recipere Evangelium is not so properly Justificare as is immediate Justificare Remittere Jus ad Christum remissionem constituere which is the Gospels act Credere non est tam propriè Justificare Much more might be said of this if necessary 4. How plain a contradiction do you speak that faith and the Gospel are two instruments and that both make one compleat instrument They might have been said to be materially two things making one instrument without contradiction but not without notorious untruth 5. For it is no better when you say they make up one compleat instrument For 1. You said before that faith gives power and efficacy to the Gospel which if true then the Gospel is an instrument subordinate to faith and therefore not one with it 2. The Gospel is causa totalis in suo genere fully as an instrument conveying right quando vel venit dies vel praestatur conditio therefore it is not causa partialis vel pars causae 3. There is such a disparity in the actions of each viz. Credere and Remittere vel donare Christum Remissionem that they cannot possibly as causae partiales constitute one compleat cause For one immediatly and properly produceth the effect the other not so 4. You say that they are both passive instruments But so they cannot make one instrument For surely nec patiuntur idem nec ab eodem nec formam Justificationis Evangelium patiendo recipit Though indeed your authority must do more then your reasons to prove it of either 6. If â—aith be more aptly and fitly as you speak called an instrument then it is a properer speech to â—ay Faith or mâ—n by faith forgiveth sins then that The Covenant-grant or Condonation or act of pardon doth forgive them Seâ— Absit 7. When you have well proved that repeated dangerous assertion That faith gives efficacy as an instrument to the Word you may next take
not as a Redeemer by ransom or as one that is to justifie us but not to Sanctifie or Rule us each of these is true in suo genere but false if they pretend to be that which Scripture calls Faith in Christ and which denominateth Believers So is it to believe with the understanding speculatively and superficially and yet to Dissent with the will I think if a man say This is the Son the heir come let us kill him and the inheritance shall be ours we will not have this man Reign over us that these are not true Believers nor have right to Baptism though their belief that he is the heir be a Dogmatical Faith true in its kinde 2. As Amesius Medulla li. 1. cap. 3. § 20. Quamvis in Scripturis aliquando Assensus veritati quae est de Deo Christo Joh. 1.50 habetur pro vera fide includitur tamen semper specialis fiducia atque adeo omnibus in locis ubi sermo est de salutari fide vel praesupponitur fiducia in Messiam indicatur tantum determinatio vel applicatio ejus ad personam Jesu Christi vel per assensum illum designatur tanquam effectum per suam causam And as words of Knowledge and Assent do in Scripture oft imply affection and consent so on the contrary words of consent and affection do alwaies imply Knowledge and Assent And therefore Faith is sometime denominated from the Intellectual act Believing and sometime from the Wills act Receiving 3. Do you not know how ordinarily even saving Faith it self is denominated from the Intellectual Act alone when yet you 'l confess the Will is necessarily an Agent in this many texts might quickly be cited to that end Those that Amesius citeth may suffice Joh. 11.25 26 27. He that believeth in me shall live Believest thou this yea Lord I believe that thou art that Christ the Son of God that was to come into the world Such was Nathaniels faith Joh. 1.49 50. 1 Joh. 4.15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God God dwelleth in him and be in God And 1 Joh. 5.1 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God Here is more then Right to Baptism The great doubt was then whether Christ were the true Messiah and therefore this was the greatest and most difficult part of Faith to Assent to this and therefore the whole is denominated from it it being supposed when they believed him to be the only sufficient and faithful Physitian that they were willing to be healed by him in his way 4. If you think as you seem by your answer to do that a man may Assent to the Truth of the Gospel with all his heart and yet be void of Justifying Faith you do not lightly err Though an unregenerate man may believe as many truths as the Regenerate yet not with all his heart Christ saith Math. 13. The word hath not rooting in him Doubtless whether or no the Practical understanding do unavoidably determine the Will yet God doth not sanctifie the understanding truly and leave the Will unsanctified which must be said if the Dogmatical Faith that is the Intellectual Assent of a wicked man be as strong as that of a true Believer Dr. Downam in his Treatise of Justification and against Mr. Pemble hath said enough of this to which I refer you I take that answer as equal to silence which yet Mr. Bl. so highly values as to say It will take away all scruple §. 52. HAving Replyed to your Answer I shall be bold to trouble you with some more Arguments to this point Mr. Blake affirmeth that Justifying Faith is the great Condition to which Baptism engageth and therefore not prerequisite to Baptism and that an acknowledgment of the Necessity of such Faith with engagement to it is sufficient for a title to the Seal and so it is a Dogmatical Faith which entitles to Baptism in which Baptism we must engage to believe with a lively and working Faith hereafter Against this Doctrine I argue 1. From Authority beginning with the lowest Argument The Reverend Assembly in their Advice for Church Government Printed after the Directory pag. 58. of the Church say thus Particular Churches in the Primitive times were made up of Visible Saints viz. of such as being of Age professed faith in Christ and obedience unto Christ according to the Rule of Faith and Life taught by Christ and his Apostles and of their children and they cite Act. 2 â—8 41 last compared with Act. 5.14 1 Cor. 1.2 compared with 2 Cor. 9.13 Now if the Profession of this Saint-ship in Faith and obedience according to the Rule were necessary then the profession of Justifying Faith was necessary For this is justifying Faith without doubt And if so then it is not a Faith short of this which is the condition of Church member-ship for then the profession of that other imperfect Faith might suffice of which more anon See also the Assemblies Confession cap. 28. § 1.6 and the two Catechisms of Baptism where 1. observe the ends of Baptism that it Sealeth Remission Regeneration Adoption c. 2. the subject that none are to be Baptized at age till they profess their Faith in Christ and Obedience to him Which if they do sincerely no doubt that Faith is no less then justifying See also what that truly Iudicious Learned Reverend Divine Mr. Gataker hath Replyed to Dr. Ward viz. against those words which I confuted not knowing that it was Mr. Gataker that the Doctor dealt with in Mr. Gatakers Desceptatio de Baptismatis Infantilis vi efficaciâ— pag. 71. where he also cites Luther Calvin Bucer Whitaker c. and therefore I will cite no more Mr. Marshal in his late Sermon for Unity I mentioned before A hundred might easily and truly be cited to this purpose Argu. 2. My Second Argument shall be from the Testimony and Practice of the purest Antiquity 1 Justin Martyr in his second Apologie relating the Churches custom in Baptizing saith As many as being perswaded do believe these things to be true which we teach and do promise to live according to them they first learn by prayer and fasting to beg pardon of God for their former sins our selves also joyning our prayer and fasting Then they are brought to the water and born again in the same way as we our selves were born again So for the other Sacrament he addeth This food we call the Eucharist to which no man is admitted but he that believeth the Truth of our Doctrine being washed in the Laver of Regeneration for Remission of sin and that so liveth as Christ hath taught 2. Irenaeus l. 4. c. 13. shews that Abrahams Faith by which he was justified is the same with the Christian Faith yea with that whereby we begin to be saved And cap. 76. having reference to the Baptismal Covenant wherein men deliver up themselves to Christ he saith Si igitur tradideris ei quod
that it shall then and not till then efficere when the condition is performed I appeal to all the Divines Lawyers and Logicians in the world when the thing to be conveyed is but Debitum vel jus ad rem and the effect is but a Transcendental relation as debitum is Is not the Voluntas constituentis vel Donantis the only principal proper efficient And is not the sigâ—um voluntatis constituens the properest instrument that the wit of man can imagine Is not the Testament of a man the most strict and proper instrument of conveying right of the Legacy to the Legatary Is not a Covenant Contract Deed of gift the most proper instrumental efficient cause of the duness of the thing given or conveyed It is not only a Law term but a term of the strictest Logick to call these a mans instrument for conveyance Is not a praemiant or priviledging law in the most strict and proper sense the Legislators instrument effecting the debitum praemii vel privelegii It is evident that the fullest definition of an instrumental efficient cause doth agree to these as far as the nature of the effect Relatio debiti vel juris will admit of full or proper efficiency For these instruments are the very fundamenta proxima of these relations Can you prove the like yea and more of faith and will not But I pray once more â—emember that it is not the effecting of a Physical change but a relative the conveying of Right that we are speaking of so full an instrument is each of thâ—se that the very name of the effect is oft given to them So a pardoning instrument is called A pardon the instrument of donation is called A deed of gift The Law is said praemiare punire quia constituit debitum premii paenae §. 20. Mr Bl. PEmble therefore affirming the Word to be an instrument of Gods Spirit presently addes Now instruments are either cooperative or passive and the Word must be one of these two Cooperative he saith it is not and gives his reason It is therefore saith he a passive instrument working only per modum obâ—ecti as it contains a declaration of the Divine Will and it proposeth to the understanding and will the things to be known beleeved and practised §. 20. R. B. Mr Pemble speaks of the Word effecting or as the instrument of sanctification We speak of it as conveying right to Christ and as justifying What 's that to this 2. When did Mr Pemble prove that the Word or other objects are passive instruments You know he goes against the stream of Philosophers and then his reasons must sway more then his authority And his reason which you say he gives is but this It cannot be declared what operative force there should be in the bare declaration of Gods will c. But I will undertake to declare that an operation there is by the agency of this declaration though not punctually how it operates I have read many that say that objectum operatur in genere causae finalis and others that say it worketh in genere causae efficientis some saying it effecteth Physically others that it effecteth morally others that objectum operatur naturaliter at prâ—ponens objectum est tantum causa moralis others that it is causa efficiens objectiva protatarctiâ—a respectu earum operationum qua ab illa immediate exercentur sed causa finalis respectu aliorum operationum quae ab illa sunt priorum interventu as Burgersâ—is speaks But I remember none that call it Instrumentum passivum yea not only the object but declaration and all Instrumentum passivum For my part I am of Scotuâ— minde that Objectum operatur efficienter per mâ—dum naturae in intellectum sed moraliter tantum in voluntatem irresistibly and necessitatingly on the intellect considering it as an intellect and not so far as it is sub imperio voluntatis ita ejus operationes sunt participativè voluntariae but on the will not so And I am sure this passive instrumentality of the Word in sanctifying doth very ill agree with the language of Scripture which makes the Word to be mighty powerfull pulling down strong holds sharp dividing c. The seed of God by which we are begotten lively the Word of life saving mens souls quickning sanctifying cleansing c. But what 's all this to Justification §. 21. Mr Bl. SO that if Burgersdicius his gladius and culter be active instruments and Keckerman 's Incus instrumentum fabricationis and his scamnum mensa accubitus terra ambulationis yet it followeth not as is thence inferred that there is no passive instrument Here is an instrument that is passive §. 21. R. B. THese words import an intimation that I said all these were active instruments which should not have been done when I manifested that I took some of them for no instruments 2. These words intimate as if I concluded hence if not only hence that there are no passive instruments which should not be when I only brought in these as Objections to be answered and argued with Schiblâ—r against passive instruments thus Every instrument is an efficient cause All efficiency is by action Therefore every instrument is active If you chose rather as ordinarily you do to silence my reasons then answer them yet you should not have intimated as if I had given you none or but such as I gave not 3. I look for your proof of a passive instrument and not to say Here is an instrument that is passive as if you were demonstrating it to my eyes when you bring nothing but singular Mr. Pembles singular word And I doubt whether you beleeve him or your self throughly for if you did I think you would preach but coldly I am perswaded you look your preaching should operate actively And indeed so it must or not at all for pati non est operari and therefore Pemble denieth it to cooperate and to operate Be not offended if I doubt whether you beleeve this your self in your Studies Preaching Writing and Exhortations 4. I doubt not but that which doth only realiter pati may be called an instrument moraliter vel reputative but then its reputative instrumentality consisteth in a reputative activity 5. And I doubt not but the dispositio materiae may by a borrowed speech be called instrumentum recipiendi and so instrumentum passivum i. e. Passionis i. e. Receptionis but all this is nothing to the business 6. If it were proved that there were a hundred passive instruments it would never be proved that faith is one as an instrument signifieth an efficient cause of Gods work of justifying us neither Really nor Reputatively is it such §. 22. Mr Bl. THat which is produced by an efficient or principall agent to the producing of an effect and receives activity and power from some other is a passive instrument and not active §. 22. R. B. STranger yet 1. It s
unsavory words that I have let fall And I must desire you not to suppose that I judge of all the rest of your Book as I do oâ— this which I have here Replyed to I value the Wheat while I help you to weed out the Tares Pardon my confident Concluding you in the error and my self in the Truth whether it be from the convincing self-revealing nature of Light or from the common unhappy fate of the deluded I must leave you and others to judge by the Evidence that is in my arguments whatever further evidence I may have my self within doubtless the various state of Intellects doth cause a strange variety of apprehensions of those objects which are in themselves the same And words be but defective signs There is something in Sensation and Intellection which words cannot fully shâ—w to another It is but the Species and not the thing it self which you see in this Glass My most exquisite description of my own Tast and the sweetness of what I tast will not cause another to tast that sweetness And there is somewhat like this in Intellection it self for though I confess my self ignorant what manner of thing our Intellection will be when we are out of the flesh yet now me thinks I perceive that it doth in some sort participate of sense and that vid August de Trinit li. 5. c. 1. initio Senâ—io me Intelligere is a speech not wholly void of Truth I confess also that I should have little modesty or humility if I should not think more highly of the understanding of your self and so many Reverend and Learned Brethren who dissent from me in several points here debated then of mine own But yet we must prove all things and not so trust to other mens eyes as to shut our own or refuse to give credit to our sight They may far excell me in many other things though they mistake in this I remember Pauls If we or an Angel from heaven c. And I remember Tertullians Non ex personis probamus fidem sed ex fide personas li. Prescript adv haer c. 3. And Irenaeus his Presbyteris adhaerere oportet qui Apostolorum doctrinam custodiunt cum Presbyterit Ordine sermonem â—anum custodiunt c. li. 4. c. 44. And Cyprians Quae ista obstinatio est quae praesumptio humanam traditionem Divinae dispositioni anteponere nec animadvertâ—re indignari irasci Deum quoties Divina praecepta solvit praeterit humana traditio Epist 74. ad subaâ—an p. 229. And many a one of Austins yet plainer then these to the same purpose are commonly known Paul himself could do nothing against the Truth but for the Truth as having no Authority given him to destruction but to Edification I am willing to stoop to the judgment of my betters as far as is Reasonable Conscionable and Possible and if no further I hope I may be excused when I see plain Reason against them it is unreasonable to subscribe to the opinions of the most learned when Scripture is against them it were dishonest and unconscionable And when they are one against another to assent to all is impossible In such a case I must needs bear the Accusations of one party who think me Arrogant Proud and Self conceâ—â—ed as supposing my self to be wiser then they But I have long been studying and Preaching and I think practising that necessary and excellent Duty of being so contented with Gods sole approbation as those that know they stand or fall at his bar and therefore must esteem it a very small thing to be judged by man I have long valued and believed that saying of Austin commonly cited and found lib. 3. de Trinit cap. 6. the very last words Contra Rationem nemo sobrius Contra Scripturas nemo Christianus Contra Ecclesiam nemo pacificus In the point of Faiths Instrumentality and the nature of the justifying act which I differ from you in I am constrained upon all these three grounds to my dissent 1. Lest by renouncing my Reason I should cease to be sober Though yet I think sober men may be contrary minded not seeing these Reasons 2. Lâ—st by forsaking the Scripture I should cease to be a Christian Though Christians that observe nor or understand not that the Scripture is against you in this may judge as you 3. Lest by contradicting the Church I should cease to be peaceable â—o Though men otherwise peaceable may be drawn to it through prejudice If you will bring one sound Reason one word of Scripture or one approved writer of the Church yea or one Heretick or any man whatsoever for many hundred years after Christ I think I may say 1300 at lest to prove that Christ as Lord or King is not the object of the Justifying act of Faith or that Faith Justifieth properly as an Instrument I am concented so far to lose the Reputation of my Reason Understanding Reading and Memory For though I have not read all that hath been written for so many hundred years yet I have read most of the Writers of great note except the most Voluminous which 〈◊〉 but part of and by that much I see so far into the sense and language of those times that I dare stand to the hazard of this adventure I speak this because you tell me that there was scarce a dissenting voice among our Divines that are against me about the Instrumentality of Faith And if there cannot be brought one man that consenteth with them for 1200 or 1400 years after Christ I pray you tell me whom a humble modest peaceable man should follow were he never so much ready to deny his own understanding Because a word or an opinion that is unsound hath got possession of a little corner of the world for about 150 years therefore I am suspected as singular and as a Novilist for forsaking it Whereas it is to avoid singularity and notorious Novelty that I assent not to your way The same I say about the Interest of mans Obedience in his Justification as continued and consummate in Judgement If either Clemens Roman Polycarp Ignatius Justin Martyr Irenaeus Tertullian Origen Athonagoâ—as Tatianus Clem. Alexand. Minutius Fâ—elix Arnoâ—â—us Lactantius Cyprian Athanasius Eusebius Greg. Nazianzen Epiphanius Cyrill Hierosol Synesius Cyrill Alexandr Macarius Hierome Salvian Vincentius Lirin Vigilius or any Councel were of your minde in any one of these points and against mine then I will confess at lest my supine negligence in reading or my very faulty memory in retaining their words And for Austin Chrysost and others of whom I have read but the lesser part I do strongly conjecture by that part at their sense and that they concurr with the rest If you say that the Fathers had their errors and all this is but humane Judgement and all men are fallible I confess all this to be true But as I still say that Contra. Ecclesiam nemo pacificus so I desire