C x A P. x8. Hain faith is an Tnlfrurnent. mental Caufe belongeth to the Efficient ; for neither do all Philofophers agree to this , fome holding lnitrumcnts tobe a fitt kinde of Caufe ; nor are we obliged CO ftand to their prefcriptions & rules , efpecially in rhefe things , that a -re no natural caufes or effeEts; no man faith , that faith bath the fame kind & meafure of Efficiency in Sc towards the effect , jutt,fication a that all Inttrumental caufes, or Inttrumental caufes fo called , have in the EtfeCts which they concurre to the producing of; what efficiency bath an exarn p!ary caufe , which force Philofóphers reduce to the efficient vit. K,eckerman : But that Faith hath fume Influence , is manifeft from the Scripture , no: of it felf, it is true , but by the gracious.appointment of God ; and that this In ßuence cannot be better & more faifly exprefi'ed than by the name of an In- {trument, appeareth to 'us clear ; hereby nothing of the glory due to God, or unto Jefus Chrift , and to his Righteoufnefs, isafcribed unto man , nor is any more hereby granted unto Man , than to abeggar, as to the enriching of himfelf, when it is faid, his hand made him rich , by receiving the Purfe- of gold , that was given unto him yea hereby is Chrift & his Righteoufnefs more fixedly ettablished , in their due place , becaufe faith is cootidered not as a Righteoufnefs of it felt, nor as a part of Rig,hteoufnefs ; but purely and_ fimplys as an Inftrument of the foul laying hold on the Righteoufnefs of Chrift, and pleading thefame , as the only Formal ground of his jinlifica= tion before God. Ifit be, faid ., that it were faifer to call it a caufa fine qua: non. We mutt fialt know , what is properly fignified thereby , .& whether it will help us more, to underftand the tuft & true import of the Scripture ex- preflions about Faith in Juttifrcation ; for no termesought to be ufed , that attain not this end , or have not a direct tendency thereunto; filch ter- mes , however we may pleafe our (elves in the invention of Their application unto the bufmefs in hand , and think we are in cafe to defend the ft me againft opponents ; yet if they do not contribute manifeftly to the' clearing and ex- plaining of the matter, according to the Scriptures, can only darker. the mat- ter : And .no reafon can enforce us to embrace them ,- with the arbitrary ex- plications & limitations of the Authors , and to re ;ect or lay aride fuch , as do more obviouflb èxplaine the matter unto all fb. h , as have or hodox ap- prehenfi)nsof the matter and have given offence to none, nor have been excepted againft by any, but fuch as were not orthodox in the point of julti- fi:ation ; & whole erroneous Pr inciplesled them to deny ,- or except againft the fame. And what for a caufe shall we take that, ca: f a fine quanon'ro bc ?- ( which cannot be fo explained -in ourlangnage , as that every one that hear - eth it, shall be in cafe to underfand, what it meaneth ) Such as fpeak of it, call it eau fa fatua, and referre to it external occafions, time & place, and fuch like things , without which the action cannot proceed-, as the place wherein we Rand, & the time , wherein wedo any thing which have ro more intereft in, or relation to one.action, than another , for all muff be done by us, infome time, audio fome. place : And shall w -e (ay , that faith bath . no other intereffor influence in juttification , than the hour of the day, when-, or the place wherein a minifter preacheth hath6nto his prearhing ?' Shall we have fomeane & low an account of the ordinances Sc appointmenntss f FJv
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