The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

10. The Holy Ghost in expressing the most eminent Acts in our Justification, especially as unto our Believing, or the acting of that faith whereby we are justified, is pleased to make use of many Metaphorical Expressions. For any to use them now in the same way, and to the same purpose, is esteemed rude, undisciplinary, and even ridiculous, but on what Grounds? He that shall deny, that there is more spiritual sense and experience conveyed by them into the hearts ⟨p. 8⟩and minds of Believers, (which is the life and soul of teaching things practical) than in the most accurate Philosophical expressions, is himself really ignorant of the whole Truth in this matter. The Propriety of such Expressions belongs, and is confined unto natural science; but spiritual Truths are to be taught not in the words which mans wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. God is wiser then man; and the Holy Ghost knows better what are the most expedient ways for the Illumination of our minds with that knowledge of Evangelical Truths, which it is our Duty to have and attain, then the wisest of us all. And other knowledge of, or skill in these things, then what is required of us in a way of Duty, is not to be valued.

It is therefore to no purpose to handle the mysteries of the Gospel, as if Holcot and Bricot, Thomas and Gabriel, with all the Sententiarists, Summists, and Quodlibetarians of the old Roman Peripatetical School, were to be raked out of their Graves to be our guides. Especially will they be of no use unto us, in this Doctrine of Justification. For whereas they pertinaciously adhered unto the Philosophy of Aristotle, who knew nothing of any Righteousness, but what is an habit inherent in our selves, and the Acts of it, they wrested the whole Doctrine of Justification unto a compliance therewithal. So Pighius himself complained of them, Controv. 2. Dissimulare non possumus, hanc vel primam doctrinae Christianae partem (de Justificatione) obscuratam magis quam illustratam a scholasticis, spinosis plerisque quaestionibus, & definitionibus, secundum quas nonnulli magno supercilio primam in omnibus autoritatem arrogantes, &c.