Perkins - BX9318 P47 1626 v1

1\ • -c oflujlijication. 571 In this their d~ctrine isatwOfcild errour:I. A that theyma~e faith whichiilfri£eth, to goe before iufrificarion it fdfe, .both rot order·of• oature,as alfo for time,wheh51ly the word of God at the very in{bnt, whena~yman beleec ueth,firfl,he is then iuftified&f•~itied. For' he rhat bcleeue.th, eateth anddrink'erh the,bo– die and blood ofChrift, and is already paGed from death to lifc.!oh.6.)4.The fecond is,that faith being nothing elfe witb thembutan illu– minatio ofthe mind,(tirreth vp the wil:which being mooucd and helped,caufeth inthe hearr many fpirituall motions:and thereby difpofeth ' man tohisfutureiuflification. But this indeed is as much as ifhe !hould fay, that dead men onely helped, can prepare themfelues to their B f!Jture ref4rreaion. For we are all by nature dead in fin,and therefore mull nor onely be in– lightened in mind, but alfo renewed in wil,be– fore wee can fo much as will and deGre that which isgood. Now we(as I haue faid)reach otherwifc : that faith iufrilieth as it is an in– !l:r(tment to.apprehend and apply Chrill>wir)l his obedicnce;whichis the matter ofour iufri.. lication. This is the truth,! prooue it thus. In the couenaotofgract two rhiogs mufl: be cotl· fidercd <the fubfiancethcreof,andthe condi– tion. The fubflancc ofthe couenant is, that rightcoufoeffi andlife merlafling u j)um to Gods Churcbar~dp"ple byChrift. The condirionis, that we for our•parrs, are by faith to receiue the forefaid benefir.s : and rbis condition is by c grace as well'is the fubflance. Now rhon,that we may attaine to faluation by Chrifr,he mull: begiucn vnto vs really, as hee is p)'opoundcd in the tenour of .the forefaid couenant. And for the giuing ofChrifr, God hath appoinred fpeciallordinances, as the preaching of rhc word , and the adminiflration of the Sacra· ments. The word preached is the power of God to faluation to euery one that beleeues : andthe end of the facrament is to communi– cate Ciuiflwith all his bctJcfitsto them rhat come to be partakerstherof: as is moftplainly to bee feencinthe Supper''of the Lord, in whichthe giuing of breadand wine to the fc– uerall communicants, is a pledge and figne of Gods particular giuing of Chrifrs bodie and D blood with all his merits, vnto them. And this giuingon Gods partcannotbee effeauall without receiuing on our parts: and therefore faith mull: needs be an inllrument or hand to rcceiue thatwhich God giueth, that we may finde comfort by hisgiuing. The IILDifference concerningfaith isthis: the Papifl faith,that aman is iuflified by faith: yet not by f•ith alone, but alfoby other ver– tues,ashope,loue,thefcare ofGod, &c. The reafons which are brought to maintaine their opinion arc ofno moment~ p,.ti,ula I. Rea(on,L•k.·7·41·M•nyftnnes areforgi· umher, bacaufejhee IOJ<edmuch, Whence they gather that the woman here fpoken of, was iu!l:ified & had the pardon ofher fins by loue. An .f.Inthis text,loue is not made animp~lfiue non eau. falisScJ illatiua vel ratio. rulis. caufe to mooue God to pardon her finnes, bur ondy a figne to !hew and manifcfc that God had alreadie pardoned them. Like tothis is theplaceof!ohn,whofaith,t.lohn3. 14. Wee are tranflaudfomdMth tolife.,bccaufc wee loHe the brethren: where loue is no caufe of the change, but a Ggne and confequenr thereof. I I.Reafon.Gal, 5.6. 'JX!ither circHmcifon,nor vncircumcijion auaileth any thir~g, butfaith that work!th by loHe, Hence they gather that faith dorh iufrifie together with lot!e.Anf.The pro– perryof crue faith is, to apprehend and re· ceiue fomethingvmo it felfe:& loue,that goes alwaieswithfaith, asa fruite and vnfeparable companionthereof, isofanothernature: ·For ltdoth notreceiue in, but as it were giueourit fdfe in all the duties ofthe fir!l:and fecond ta– ble towards God and man;and rhisrhingfaith by it felfe cannot doe : and therefore Paul faith, that faith worketh by loue. The hand harh a property to reach out it felfe , to lay hold ofanything, & to receiue agifr: bur the hand hath no property to cutapeece ofwood ofit felfe, without faw or knife, or fome like inflrument: and yet by hdpe ofthem,ircan ei– thcr deuide or cut. Euen fo it is the nature of faith,togoe out ofit felfe and to receiue Chrifl into the heart: asfor the duties ofthe firfl and fecondtable,fairhcaunotof it fclfe bring them forthinomore then the hand ca:ndeuideorcut: yet ioyneloue ro faith, and then can it pratlife duties commanded concerningGod andman. And this I take to be the meaning of this text which fpcakerh not ofiufrification by faith, but onely of the praaife of common duties, which faith pntteth i9 execution by the helpe ofloue. · Ill. Reafon.•Faith is neueralone,therefore itdothnotiufrifiealone. Anfw. Thercafonis naught,& tl<ey might as wdl difpure thus.The eye is neuer alone from thehead,and therefore it feeth notalonetwhichisabfurd:Andthough in regard offub(tancethe eieis neueralone,yet in regard offeeing it is alone 1 and fo rhough faith fttbfi{i not without loue, and hope, and other graces offfiod,yct inregardofrhoal't of iuflification it is alone withoqr rhem all. I V.Reafon.Iffaith alonedothiufrifie,then we are faucdby faith alone, but wee are not faucd by faith alone, and therefore not iufrifi– ed by faith alone.Anf.The propoGrion is falfe: but more things are requifitc to the maioe end,then tothe fubordinate meanes. And the affumption isfalfe: for we are faued by faith alone, ifwee fpeake of faith as itis an infrru– ment apprehending Chrifr forourfaluation. V. Rcafon.Rom.8.24·Weareflmed bjh"f'" therefore not by faith alone. .Anf.We are fa– ucd by hope, notbecaufe it is any caufeof fal– uatio. PaHis meaning is only this:thatwe haue not faluation asyet in polfefSion,burwaite pa– tient!yfor iJ:,intime to come tobe po{felfedof vs,exfpel:ling the rime ofour ful deliuerance: that is all,that can iufrly be gathered hence. Now the doctrine which wee teachon the· Ccc 2

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