3-51 How faith is an rnf#rament. Cla A P. 18. God , in reference to fpiritual ends ? Seing the Lord bath appointed Faith, in order to Justification , we mutt not look upon it as a caufa fatua, or as a sneer circumflance , but as having fome kindly influence in the effeEt, by vertue of the appointment of God , & fuch a connexion therewith, that it no boner exilteth but as loon ;unification followeth. Faith then can not be called a meet can fa fine tyua non. f iifto:ical faith & feveral other antecedents, may be a conditio or eaufa fine qua non; for no man of age can be juftified without it ; yet we may not fay, that we juftified by it , as by faving faith.; the fame may be laid of ConviEtion & Senfe of fin , of fome meafure at least, of legal Repentance , and of defire of Pardon & of Peace, which yet, may be, and oft are without ;unification. And it may alfo feem !range, how this car,fa fine quanon, can be called a poteflative condition ; or how that, which is laid to be a proper Poteftative Condition , ex cujus præßatione con. flituizur jus aF1zzale ad beneficium , can be called a meer conditio or eaufa fine qua non, feing it bath fuch aconuderable moral influence in -the effect? But faith Mr. Baxter again(' M. Blake §. 27. faith cannot jufbfie both as a Condition -, (LT asanInflrumentof 3uflifrcation; for either of them importeth the proximanz & caufalem rationem of faith, as to the e ll; d5 it is utterly In- confiflent with its nature, to have two fuch different neereflcazzfal interefls. Ant, When we fpeak of Faiths ;unifying, as an lnftrument, we confider the phyfical, or grrafr phyficai way of its operation , and denote only its kindly acting on Jefus Chrift , and on his Righteoufnefs which it layeth hold on,ap- plyeth , apprehendeth , .& putteth on. And when we fay it juttifieth asa condition we confider it as appointed of God unto that end, & as placed by Him , in that ítate & relation unto juflification, which now it bath: And either of thefe can be called the proxima ratio caufalis of Faith , accor- ding to its different confideration: if ;unification , ( meaning not God's act only , but the complex relative change) be confìdered in genere Phyfico, or gzrafi phyfico, then the neereft caufal intereft of faith , is its innrumentality: but if it be confidered in genere morali, or legali, then its neereft canal in- tereft is, that it is acondition. As when a rich man beftoweth a purfe of gold on a beggar, & requireth that he, in order to the pofl'efïìng of it, flreatch forth his hand , .& take it , confidering this at of enriching him in genere phy ico , his hand acteth herein , as an Iníttrument, apprehending the purfe , & taking it to himfelf : confidering this , in genere legali or morali, the nreatching forth of his hand , and apprehending the purfeis a condition; for fo the donor hath determined to give the riches, after fuch a manner & methode , for his own ends, according to his good pleafure. Tins s we fee, howfaith can , in its way , produce one & the fame effet of jufification both as an Inn' lament, and as a Condition , taking thefe termes , in a large fenfe , according to the matter in hand. Mr. Baxter faith Confeff p. S 9. he denieth That Faith is an Infirument of tufli- frcation, becaufe he darenot give fo much of Chrifl's honour to man , or any aft of mans, as lobe anefficient eaufe of pardoninghimfelf. Anf. And he knoweth that the orthodox do of purpofe, call faith an Inftrument in juftification, in oppofition to the Pápifir, that Christ may weare the honour alone, and =may
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