R. B. IF this be indeed true, That it is mans instrument of Justification and Gods both; then both God and man are both Causae principals partials, by coordination making up one principal cause. This I hope you will not downright affirm: I deny it on this reason: Every absolute Donor (I mean, who is absolutely owner of what he gives) is the total cause-efficient-principal, of his own Donation: But God in justifying is an absolute Donor (giving remission and Righteousness) Therefore, &c. 2. Or else God and man must be principal causes one subordinate to the other, and each total in his own kind. This must be your meaning, by your first words: But then which of these is the most principal cause, and which the subordinate? It is hard for a better wit then mine to know your mind by your words: For when you say [Because it is mans instrument, it is also Gods instrument.] It may seem that you take it to be mans instrument first, or else how can it be therefore Gods instrument [because] it is mans▪ But yet whether you speak de ordine consequentis vel consequentiae, de ordine essendi & efficiendi, vel de ordine dicendi & colligendi, I know not. However, I will not be so uncharitable as to imagine that you take man for the most principal cause, and God for the subordinate; but contrarily. But then you do not only make man the pardoner and justifier of himself, but you make him the nearest total cause of it: and so it would be as proper to say, Man forgives himself, as that God forgives him: And so faith would be only mans instrument directly, as being the nearest cause-principal; and Gods instrument remotely. As if I hold my pen, and you hold my hand, the pen is proximè my instrument, and remotiùs yours. And so God should justify and pardon man, by himself, as Gods instrument: As if a Judge had committed Treason, and the King should give him authority to Judge, Pardon and Absolve himself. But how much might be said against this? To justify efficienter is actus Rectoris: Sed homo non est rector sui ipsius (in the sense in hand:) Therefore he cannot justify himself. Indeed if you had spoke only of the Justification in sorrow conscientiae you might well have ascribed it to man as the efficient cause: but that you speak not of.
R. B. IF this be indeed true, That it is mans instrument of Justification and Gods both; then both God and man are both Causae principales partiales, by coordination making up one principal cause. This I hope you will not downright affirm: I deny it on this reason: Every absolute Donor (I mean, who is absolutely owner of what he gives) is the totall cause-efficient-principal, of his own Donation: But God in justifying is an absolute Donor (giving remission and Righteousness) Therefore, &c. 2. Or else God and man must be principal causes one subordinate to the other, and each total in his own kinde. This must be your meaning, by your first words: But then which of these is the most principal cause, and which the subordinate? It is hard for a better wit then mine to know your minde by your words: For when you say [Because it is mans instrument, it is also Gods instrument.] It may seem that you take it to be mans instrument first, or else how can it be therefore Gods instrument [because] it is mans▪ But yet whether you speak de ordine consequentis vel consequentiae, de ordine essendi & efficiendi, vel de ordine dicendi & colligendi, I know not. However, I will not be so uncharitable as to imagine that you take man for the most principal cause, and God for the subordinate; but contrarily. But then you do not only make man the pardoner and justifier of himself, but you make him the nearest total cause of it: and so it would be as proper to say, Man forgives himself, as that God forgives him: And so faith would be only mans instrument directly, as being the nearest cause-principal; and Gods instrument remotely. As if I hold my pen, and you hold my hand, the pen is proximè my instrument, and remotiùs yours. And so God should justifie and pardon man, by himself, as Gods instrument: As if a Judge had committed Treason, and the King should give him authority to Judge, Pardon and Absolve himself. But how much might be said against this? To justifie efficienter is actus Rectoris: Sed homo non est rector sui ipsius (in the sense in hand:) Therefore he cannot justifie himself. Indeed if you had spoke only of the Justification in soro conscientiae you might well have ascribed it to man as the efficient cause: but that you speak not of.
