The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

Yet will I not therefore make it my controversy with any, that Faith is properly an instrument, or the instrumental cause in or of our Justification; and so divert into an impertinent contest about the nature and kinds of Instruments and Instrumental causes as they are metaphysically hunted with a confused Cry of futilous terms and distinctions. But this I judge, that among all those notions of things which may be taken from common use and understanding to represent unto our minds the meaning and intention of the scriptural Expressions so often used, [Greek or Hebrew], there is none so proper as this of an Instrument or Instrumental cause, seeing a causality is included in them, and that of any other kind certainly excluded; nor hath it any of its own.

Yet will I not therefore make it my controversie with any, that Faith is properly an instrument, or the instrumental cause in or of our Justification; and so divert into an impertinent contest about the nature and kinds of Instruments and Instrumental causes as they are metaphysically hunted with a confused Cry of futilous terms and distinctions. But this I judge, that among all those notions of things which may be taken from common use and understanding to represent unto our minds the meaning and intention of the scriptural Expressions so often used, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, there is none so proper as this of an Instrument or Instrumental cause, seeing a causality is included in them, and that of any other kind certainly excluded; nor hath it any of its own.

But it may be said, that if Faith be the Instrumental cause of Justification; it is either the Instrument of God, or the Instrument of Believers themselves. That it is not the Instrument of God is plain, in that it is a duty which he prescribeth unto us; it is an Act of our own; and it is we that believe not God; nor can any Act of ours be the Instrument of his ⟨p. 150⟩Work. And if it be our Instrument, seeing an Efficiency is ascribed unto it, then are we the efficient causes of our own Justification in some sense, and may be said to justify our selves, which is derogatory to the Grace of God, and the Blood of Christ.