The life of faith in three parts, the first is a sermon on Heb.…

Error 20. That Faith justifieth as an instrument and only so.

Errour 20. That Faith justifieth as an instrument and only so.

Of this I have written at large heretofore. An instrument properly so called, is an efficient cause: Faith is no efficient cause of our Justification; neither Gods instrument, nor ours: for we justify not our selves instrumentally: The known undoubted instrument of our Justification, is Gods Covenant or deed of gift; which is his pardoning act: They that say it is not a Physical but a Moral instrument, either mean that its morally called an instrument, that is, reputatively, and not really; or that it is indeed a moral instrument, that is, effecteth our Justification morally. But the latter is false; for it effecteth it not at all: and the former is false: for as there is no reason; so there is no Scripture to prove that God reputeth it to be what it is not.

Of this I have written at large heretofore. An instrument properly so called, is an efficient cause: Faith is no efficient cause of our Justification; neither Gods instrument, nor ours: for we justifie not our selves instrumentally: The known undoubted instrument of our Justification, is Gods Covenant or deed of gift; which is his pardoning act: They that say it is not a Physical but a Moral instrument, either mean that its morally called an instrument, that is, reputatively, and not really; or that it is indeed a moral instrument, that is, effecteth our Justification morally. But the latter is false; for it effecteth it not at all: and the former is false: for as there is no reason; so there is no Scripture to prove that God reputeth it to be what it is not.

All that remaineth to be said is that indeed Faith in Christ is an act whose nature partly (that is, one act of it) consisteth in the Acceptance of Christ himself who is given to us for our Justification and Salvation, by a Covenant which maketh this believing-acceptance its condition. And so this accepting-act in the very essence of it, is such as some call a receiving instrument (or a passive) which is indeed no instrument, but an act metaphorically called an instrument (And in disputes metaphors must not be used without necessity; and to understand them properly is to err.) So that such an improper instrument of Justification Faith is, as my trusting my Physician (and taking him for my Physician) is the instrument of my cure: And as my trusting my self to the conduct of such a Pilot, is the instrument of my safe voyage; or as my trusting my Tutor is the instrument of my learning; or rather as a woman's marriage-consent is the instrument