33t1 How faith is an Inffrurnent. C A P. 28, afcr-ibe all the vertue of nourishment unto the meat. They, denying the hand and the mouth to be confidered here as inflruments, and laying that we live and are nourished by thehand and the mouth, (lull as they do , when they snake the zo credere our Righteoufnefs , in reference to jutlification j afcribe, all the vertue of nourishment unto the hand &.the mouth , and fo -let up the hand & the mouth , in the place, that is due unto the meat , and rob the meat , of thatpower & vertue, that is only proper to ir. Yet with- all , when we lay , that hands and mouth nourish us as lnftruments , we do alor deny , but in a general fenfe , our receiving of meat with our hands , & eating of it with our mouth , are Conditions of nourishment , importing he- reby, that the wife God bath appointed this order and methòde , giving us hands torecerve meat , & mouths to eat it, & a stomach to digeftit, in order to the living , and receiving thereby nourishment ; only we do not fay , they are fuch.conditious , as have all the vertue of nourishment in them. This is but a Gtnilitude, and fo mull halt in fome things , as all fimilitudes do ; yet it fereth to illufirare the matter and to skew the difference betwixt our expret ions , and the expreffìons of our Adverfaries , in this matter ; how little ground there is for this objection , and particularly show ,, when we fay faith juílifieth asan Inflrument, we do not withal) fay , it jtíflifieth, as a work , in our Ad verfaries fenfe; And how , when we fay , Faith isa condition we do not withal) fay , that it juftifieth as a poteflative proper condition , in our Adverfaries fenfe; as alto , how we cannot admit that faith shall be called no more , than a caufa fine qua non; Icing it is fo mani- feft , that eating & digefting of meat bath another influence into nourish- ment by food than a meet cauta fine ua non hathinto any effec`l. Mr. Baxter Confeff. p. 9.5.96. 1 mufitherefore profeße, that afterlongconfide- rationIknownooneterme, that properlyexprefjeth this neerefl d? formal inte;efi of faith in juflification , but only the terme condition , as that is ufually taken for the condition ofa free gift , d' when the Scripture telleth us , Isom faith jtrfli- fieth, it is in Inch termer , as.thefe, if thou confefs with thy mouth &c. he that beleeveth shall be faved &c. In all which, if the conditional if, e the conditional forme of the prgmìfe, e epre r nota condition, 1 defpaire of everundér- ftanding it in this life. Anf. As for the nee' 'refl & for.tttal intereft of Faith, in justification, if all other queflions touching that fundamental truth of Jutli- fication , were fátisfyingly determined, & put to an end, there needed not be much controverfie ; but when as we have feen , the decifion of this hath fuch an intereft in the decifion of more fubftantial points, or necelfarily at- tendeth the fame, enquirie with fobriety after the truth , even in1 thefe lef- fer things , cannot be condemned ; And , on the contrare, receéíingfrorn & condemning received termes & exprelfìons , which havean obvious, plai- ne & found meaning, being taken, according as they have been conftantly ufed , becaufe not quadratingevery Way with mens new Philofophical and too metaphyfical apprehenfìons & notions, in this matter, cannot butbe difpleafing. And too much Phil4hical accuracy in the clearing up ,of thefe myfleries is not the molt edifying & faife way of explication. 2. 'Ve are nor againfl the Life of the terme Çondition.in this matter, knowing that faith may
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