Union with Christ, and so by consequence in the state of Grace, we can do nothing, Joh. 15.5. To Beleeve is the act of a Person either in the state of Grace, or in the state of condemnation. Not of condemnation; therefore of grace, and we are justified before our act of Faith.
4. Elect Infants dying before they come to years of discretion, or sanctified in their Mothers Wombs, are justified by the habit of Faith: Persons in this state of Grace being adulti, cease not to be justified when they fall into sownes, or otherwise put forth no act of Faith, which, (I suppose) would follow, were they not justified by the seed of Faith. If the seed failed in such a case, so much as the act doth, by what band should they be united unto Christ? And how could persons out of union with Christ be justified? The Belgick Professors in the Synod of Dort, give this as a reason, Why the Faith by which we are first converted, and from which we are called Beleevers, is not an act but an habit infused of God, because otherwise, oft upon one and the same day, we should be Beleevers, and Unbeleevers; the children of God, and the children of the Devil. It would (I conceive) upon the same ground follow, That were we not justified by rhe habit of Faith, but only by the act, we should many times be successively justified, and unjustified. Chamier thus expresseth himself, I say it is most true, That justi∣fying Faith doth follow, if not in time, yet in order justification. Mr. Cotton saith in his New Covenant, page 55. A man is as passive in regeneration, as in his first generation; only God giveth his spirit, that doth unite us unto Christ, which is received by Faith, together with A∣doption, and Justification: and yet by the act of Beleeving we are justified also, Gal. 2.16. that is manifested to be justified in our own consciences.
Object. 1. This is against the judgement of our Orthodox Divines, who generally make Faith an instrumental cause of our Justification.
Answ. They who do affirm, That in our active conversion, we perceive, and receive Christ by an act of Faith, do not deny a passive reception precedent to that act, in our conversion, wherein we are altogether passive.
Object. 2. The Scripture never saith, That we are justified by the habit of Faith, but rather by the act.
Answ. The Scripture doth not say, That we are justified by the habit, or act of Faith in terminis, but in sense. These are frequent Gospel expressions, We are justified by Faith. Faith is taken as well for the habit, as the act. When Faith is said not to fail, that is to be understood of the habit: When we are commanded to Beleeve, that is meant of the act. Bucer (saith Zanchy) is not ashamed to say, That we beleeve sometimes in act, sometimes only in habit, There is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. Let a man be in Christ, whether by the act, or by the habit of Faith, he is justified. Which way soever Christ, and his righteousness is made ours, this righteousness is counted to us for ours by God, who counts things as they are.
Object. 3. He that beleeveth not, is condemned already, Joh. 3.18. We are not then justified, but consequently to our act of beleeving.
Answ. The act of Faith doth ever follow the habit, and in order of time, they can scarce be distinguished the one from the other: But in order of causality, Gods work goes before ours. A Christian is in the order of nature, in the state of grace before Faiths act, though not in time. In a word, when it is said, He that beleeveth not, is condemned already; it must be understood thus: He that beleeveth not either actu secundo, or actu primo, else what will be∣come of us when we are asleep, and put forth no act of beleeving?
Object. 4. If we be justified antecedently to our act of Faith, then justification goes before vo∣cation, contrary to that Rom. 8.30. And whom he called, them he also justified.