Of justification four disputations clearing and amicably defending the truth against the unnecessary oppositions…

But if any should distinguish of the act of faith, and not the Habit, and say that [fides qua credit in Christum ut Regem, justificat, sed non quâ credit in Christum ut Regem] I accept the former as being all that I desire, and grant the latter: But then I say the like of the other act of faith, that [fides quâ credit in Christum satisfacientem non justificat, because fides quà fides, non justificat, sed fides quâ conditio praestita.] And I think I need to say no more for the opening the Fallacy, that this distinction useth to cover.

And now I come to peruse all that I can find that is produced to support this distinction. And the most is certain pretended similitudes, that have little or no similitude as to this.

The common similitude is [A man that is oculatus heareth, but not qua oculatus, but qua auritus, &c.] Repl. First, If you take quà strictly, the affirmative is not true. For then àquatenus ad omne, every man that is auritus would hear: whereas he may stop his ears, and be where is no sound, &c. And a man that hath eyes may wink, and be in the dark, &c. Secondly, If quà signify the aptitude, or causal interest, I deny the similitude; It is dissimile: and the reason of the difference is evident; for a mans eyes are Physical efficient causes of his sight, and his ears of hearing; naturally in their aptitude and potentiality determined to their proper objects: but saith is no efficient cause of our Justification, or of our interest in Christ at all; much less a Physical efficient cause. But the Interest it hath is Moral, which dependeth on the Donors will; and it is no higher then that of a condition: and therefore the act that Physically hath least respect to the object, may in this case if the Donor ⟨p. 52⟩please, do as much to procure a Title to it, as that which hath the nearest physical respect to it. As if you have a deed of Gift of a Country on Condition you will discover a Traitor, or marry one that oweth it: here the alien act hath more interest in procuring your Title, then your Apprehending, or treading on the soil, or taking possession, yea or accepting the deed of Gift it self. So God hath made our Accepting of whole Christ to be the condition of life and pardon; and consequently, the Accepting him in other Relations (in which he destroyeth sin, advanceth God, &c.) doth as much to our Justification as the accepting him at our Ransom.