Here, if I may humbly express what seems evident to me, tho' Faith be indeed the Condition of Justification so as nothing else is, yet this Matter is not clearly and sufficiently explained by saying that Faith is the Condition of Justification; and that because the Word seems ambiguous, both in common Use, and also as used in Divinity: in one Sense Christ alone performs the Condition of our Justification and Salvation; in another Sense, Faith is the Condition of Justification; in another Sense, other Qualifications and Acts are Conditions of Salvation and Justification too: there seems to be a great deal of ambiguity in such Expressions as are commonly used, (which yet we are forced to use,) such as Condition of Salvation, what is required in order to Salvation or Justification; the Terms of the Covenant, and the like; and I believe they are understood in very different Senses by different Persons. And besides as the Word Condition is very often understood in the common use of Language, Faith is not the only Thing, in us, that is the Condition of Justification; for by the Word Condition, as 'tis very often, (and perhaps most commonly,) used; we mean any thing that may have the Place of a Condition in a conditional Proposition, and as such is truly connected with the Consequent, especially if the Proposition holds both in the Affirmative and Negative, as the Condition is either affirmed or denied; if it be that with which, or which being supposed, a thing shall be, and without which, or it being denied, a Thing shall not be, we in such a Case call it a Condition of that Thing: But in this Sense Faith is not the only Condition of Salvation or Justification, for there are many Things that accompany and flow from Faith, that are Things with which Justification shall be, and without which it will not be, and therefore are found to be put in Scripture in conditional Propositions with Justification and Salvation. in ⟨p. 9⟩Multitudes of Places; such are Love to God, and Love to our Brethren, forgiving Men their Trespasses, and many other good Qualifications and Acts. And there are many other Things besides Faith, which are directly proposed to us, to be pursued or performed by us, in order to eternal Life, as those which if they are done, or obtained we shall have eternal Life, & if not done or not obtained, we shall surely perish.
Here, if I may humbly express what seems evident to me, tho' Faith be indeed the Condition of Justification so as nothing else is, yet this Matter is not clearly and sufficiently explained by saying that Faith is the Condition of Justification; and that because the Word seems ambiguous, both in common Use, and also as used in Divinity: in one Sense Christ alone performs the Condition of our Justification and Salvation; in another Sense, Faith is the Condition of Justification; in another Sense, other Qualifications and Acts are Conditions of Salvation and Justification too: there seems to be a great deal of ambiguity in such Expressions as are commonly used, (which yet we are forced to use,) such as Condition of Salvation, what is required in order to Salvation or Justification; the Terms of the Covenant, and the like; and I believe they are understood in very different Senses by different Persons. And besides as the Word Condition is very often understood in the common use of Language, Faith is not the only Thing, in us, that is the Condition of Justification; for by the Word Condition, as 'tis very often, (and perhaps most commonly,) used; we mean any thing that may have the Place of a Condition in a conditional Proposition, and as such is truly connected with the Consequent, especially if the Proposition holds both in the Affirmative and Negative, as the Condition is either affirmed or denied; if it be that with which, or which being supposed, a thing shall be, and without which, or it being denied, a Thing shall not be, we in such a Case call it a Condition of that Thing: But in this Sense Faith is not the only Condition of Salvation or Justification, for there are many Things that accompany and flow from Faith, that are Things with which Justification shall be, and without which it will not be, and therefore are found to be put in Scripture in conditional Propositions with Justification and Salvation. in ⟨p. 9⟩Multitudes of Places; such are Love to God, and Love to our Brethren, forgiving Men their Trespasses, and many other good Qualifications and Acts. And there are many other Things besides Faith, which are directly proposed to us, to be pursued or performed by us, in order to eternal Life, as those which if they are done, or obtain'd we shall have eternal Life, & if not done or not obtain'd, we shall surely perish.
