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CHAP. XXVII.
Arg. Whether the sinner be justifyed only by the act, not the habit of faith? And whether it be not ordained to this use by reason of the usefull property which God hath infused into it, to receive Christ? Whether and in what sense a man may be said [properly] to be justifyed by faith? In which also some things are inter∣mixed about Mr. Baxters 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Credere, and conditi∣ons of Justification.
B. Thes. 57.
IT is the act of faith which justifyeth men at age, and not the habit: yet not as it is a good work, or as it hath in it self any ex∣cellency above other graces: but
1. In the neerest sense directly and properly as it is [the ful∣filling of the condition of the new Covenant.]
2. In the remote and more improper sense, as it is [the re∣ceiving of Christ and his satisfactory righteousnesse.
It is not for nothing that Mr. Baxter puts here a restriction upon justification by the Act of faith, limiting it to [men of age:] Are then elect infants that die before they attain age and strength of reason to put forth their faith into act, justifyed only by the habit of faith? It seemeth then that the hue and crie hath ap∣prehended the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 credere, as to them, and laid it fast from justi∣fying them. Again, if they are justifyed by the habit of faith as a habit of inherent grace, (though not such as he here denyeth to have an excellency above other graces) what difference doth he put between Justification and Sanctification? Doth he not speak the same things here with the Papists? Yea in a higher dialect then any of them? For they grant to Infants justifica∣tion only by the washing of Christs bloud conferred upon them in Baptism, without any qualification of their own. But this man (if he thus say) justifies them by an inherent righte∣ousnesse of their own. But if Infants are justifyed without the