A80640:202
The way of Congregational churches cleared in two treatises. In the former, from the…
The way of Congregational churches cleared in two treatises. In the former, from the historical aspersions of Mr. Robert Baylie, in his book, called, A dissuasive from the errors of the time. In the latter, from some contradictions of Vindicæ Clavium : and from, some mis-constructions of learned Mr. Rutherford in his book entitled The due right of presbyteries. / By Mr. John Cotton, sometime preacher at Boston in Lincoln-shire, and now teacher of the Church at Boston, in New-England.The way of Congregational churches cleared in two treatises. In the former, from the historical aspersions of Mr. Robert Baylie, in his book, called, A disswasive from the errors of the time. In the latter, from some contradictions of Vindicæ Clavium : and from, some mis-constructions of learned Mr. Rutherford in his book intituled The due right of presbyteries. / By Mr. John Cotton, sometime preacher at Boston in Lincoln-shire, and now teacher of the Church at Boston, in New-England.
London: printed by Matthew Simmons for John Bellamie, 1648
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Quest. 1. Whether our Union with Christ be complete before and without Faith? Where I gave this answer, which was taken in writing: Not without, nor before the habit (or gift) of Faith, but before the act of Faith; that is, not before Christ hath wrought Faith in us (for in uniting himself to us, he worketh Faith in us:) yet in order of nature, before our faith doth put forth it self to lay hold on him. For indeed I looked at Union with Christ, as equipollent to Regeneration. And look as in Generation we are in a passive way united to Adam: so in Regeneration we are united to Christ. And as the soul habet see mere passive (in the judgement of our best Divines) in Regeneration, so also in union, and by the judgment of Christ himself, who saith, ⟨p. 42⟩without Christ abiding in us (and so united to us) we can do nothing, not bring forth any spiritual fruit at all: much less can we before union with Christ, unite our selves to Christ, which is the greatest and most spiritual fruit of all. I was not ignorant, that some of the Schoolmen (even some Dominicans) & out of them Ferius, and some others, (even of judicious Protestants) are of opinion, that Christ doth give the Soul by the Almighty power of the auxilium efficax of his Spirit, to put forth an act of Faith, to lay hold on Christ, before he give them a habit or gift of Faith. But I could not understand how this could stand with Christs Word, That without Christ abiding in us, we can do nothing. Which argueth, no spiritual act can be done by us without Christ habitually permanent in us. And us acute and judicious Baynes saith, (in Ephes. 1.) This were to give a man to see, without an eye to see withal: which though God can do by his Almighty power, yet as the Philosopher said of Entia: so it may be much more said of Miracula (which are extraordinary Entia) Miracula sine necessitate non sunt multiplicanda. QUEST. II. Whether Faith be an instrumental cause in applying Christs righteousness to our Justification. Whereto I answered, Faith is an instrument to receive the righteousness of Christ applied to us of God, for our Justification: but not properly an instrumental cause. Where I understood Instrument, as the Hebrews do, [Greek or Hebrew] which they indifferently put for Instrument, or Vessel:
Quest. 1. Whether our Ʋnion with Christ be compleat before and without Faith? Where I gave this answer, which was taken in writing: Not without, nor before the habit (or gift) of Faith, but before the act of Faith; that is, not before Christ hath wrought Faith in us (for in uniting himself to us, he worketh Faith in us:) yet in order of nature, before our faith doth put forth it self to lay hold on him. For indeed I looked at Union with Christ, as equipollent to Regeneration. And looke as in Generation we are in a passive way united to Adam: so in Regeneration wee are united to Christ. And as the soule habet se mere passive (in the judgement of our best Divines) in Regeneration, so also in union, and by the judgment of Christ himself, who saith,