How many senses soever may be given of this word condition, this is the determinate sense in which I use it throughout this con- troversy. And whosoever denies the suspending nature of faith, ■with respect to actual justification, pleads (according to my under- standing) for the actual justification of infidels. And thus I find a condition defined by Navar. Johan. Baptist. Petrus de Perus, ^c. Conditio est suspensio alicujus dispositionis tantisper dum aliquid futurumjiat. Condition is the suspension of a grant until something future be done. And again. Conditio est quidam futurus eventus, in quern dispositio suspenditur. A condition is some future event in which the fulfilling of a grant is suspended.
Once more, my reader possibly may be stumbled at my calling faith sometimes the instrument, and sometimes the condition of our justification, when there is so go great a controversy depending among learned men, with respect to the use of both those terms.
♦ It seems to be more proper, as well as more safe, to use the term instrvment. Faith is unquestionably the appropriate mean by which the sinner becomes interested in the covenant of grace ; but when the date, the parties, and the stipulations in that covenant are duly considered, it appears absurd in the extreme to assign to that heavenly grace the honour of being the condition of that eternal transaction. The righteousness of its Divine Surety alone deserves and challenges that dignity asitsowu* Jilditor,
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I therefore desire the reader to take notice, that I dive not into that controversy here, much less presume to determine it ; but finding both these notions equally opposed by our Antinomians, who re- ject our actual justification by faith either way, and allow to faith no other use in our actual justification, but only to manifest to us what was done from eternity ; I do therefore use both those terms, viz. the conditionality and instrumentality of faith, with respect unto our justification, and shew in what sense those terms are useful in this controversy, and are accommodate enough to the design and purpose for which I use them ; how repugnant soever they are in that particular, wherein the learned contend about the use and application of them.
To be plain, when I say faith justifieth us as an organ or instru-* ment ; my only meaning is, that it receives, or apprehends the righteousness of Christ, by which we are justified ; and so speaking to the quomodo, or manner of our justification, I say, with the gen- eral suffrage of Divines, we are justified instrumentally by faith.
But in our controversy with the Antinomians where another different question is moved about the qua?ido, or time of our actual justification ; there I affirm that we are actually justified at the time of our believing, and not before ; and this being the act upon which our justification is suspended, I call Jaith the condition of our justification.
This I desire may be observed, lest, in my use of both these terms, my reader should think either that I am not aware of the controversy depending about those terms ; or, that I do herein man^ ifest the vacillancy of my judgment, as if I leaned sometimes to one side and sometime to another. I speak not here ad idem, as they do in that contest; but when I call it a condition of justification, my meaning is, that no man is justified until he believe. And when I call it an instrument, my meaning is, that it is the righteousness of Christ, apprehended by faith, which doth justify us when we be- lieve. And so I find the generahty of our divines caWmg Jaith sometimes a condition, and sometimes an instrttraent of our justifi^ cation, as here I do.
And if there be any expression my reader shall meet with, which is less accurate, and may be capable of another sense, I crave that candour from him, that he interpret it according to this my declared intention.
5. Lastly, I have added to the former a short, plain, practical sermon, to promote the peace and unity of the churches of Christ, and to prevent their relapse into past follies.
In all the parts of this discourse, I have sincerely aimed at the purity and peace of the church of God ; and he greatly mistakes
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that takes me for a man of contention. It is true, I am here con- tending with my brethren, but pure necessity brought me in, and an unpieasing irksomeness hath attended me through it, and an hearty desire and serious motion for peace amongst all the profes- sed members of Christ, shall close and finish it. Let all htigations of this nature (at least in this critical juncture) be suspended by common consent, since they waste our time, hinder our communion, imbitter our spirits, impoverish practical godliness, grieve the Spirit of God and good men, make sport for our common enemies, who warm their own fingers at the firc of our contentions ; and place more trust in our dividing lusts than they do in their own feeble arguments, or castrated penal laws to effect our ruin.
It is my grief (the Lord knows) to see the delightful communion the saints once enjoyed, whilst they walked together under the same ordinances of God, now dissolved in such a sad and scanda- lous degree, by the impressions of erroneous opinions, made both upon their heads and hearts. I do therefore heartily join with Bu- daeus in his pious wish *, " That God would give his people as " much constancy in retaining the truths they once received, " as they had joy and comfort at their first reception of them.'* I nnist, on this occasion, declare my just jealousy that the non- improvement of our baptismal covenant unto the great and solemn ends thereof, in our mortification, vivification, and regular com- munion with the church of Christ, into which society we are matri- culated by it, is, at this day, punished upon professors in those fiery heats and fierce oppositions, unto which God seemeth to have pe- nally delivered us at this day.
For my own part, it is my fixed resolution to provoke no good man if I can help it. But if their own intemperate zeal shall pro- voke them in pursuit of their errors, to destroy the very nature of God's covenant of grace with Abraliani and his seed, and I have a plain call (as here I had) at once to defend God's truths, and my people's souls against them, I will earnestly contend in the cause of truth, whilst I can move my tongue, or make use of the pen of the scribe.
Reader, I shall appeal to thee, if thou be wise and impartial, Whether any man that understands the covenant of God renew- ed with Abraham, (which is the grand charter, by which we and our children hold and enjoy the most invaluable privileges) can en- dure to see it dissolved and utterly destroyed, by making it an abo- lished Adam's covenant of works ; and stand by as an unconcerned