Keach or Quiche?
A leader of a Reformed Baptist church quoted Benjamin Keach, a prominent early Particular Baptist and a signer of the 1689 London CoF, and insisted that Keach taught that faith, the act of believing, is a condition for actual (legal and personal) justification before God as well as eternal life, i.e. justification and eternal life is conditioned upon faith, the act of believing.
Let the reader judge for himself. Below is the quote from Keach, followed with some observations and comments.
Question:
But doth not the gospel require faith as a condition of justification and eternal life?
Answer:
1. Yea as a condition of connexion by way of order, as one thing dependeth on another (as our author observes) in logic, if a creature be a man, he is a rational creature; or if God be the first cause, he is the Creator of all things. and in this sense (saith he) creation is a condition of salvation, if a man be saved, he must be created; so if a man believe, he shall be saved; believing is a condition of connexion, a state of grace, is thus a condition of a state of glory, by way of connexion in the promise, but one is not the federal condition of another, but both come in as the gift of grace. In this sense the covenant contains all the conditions of order and dependence in the exhibition and performance; the hearing the word is the condition of faith, but hearing is not a federal condition; so the giving the Spirit is the condition of our union with Christ and of faith, and faith the condition of our receiving of pardon, and living a holy life - and holiness the condition of seeing God, and of having eternal life; but these kinds of conditions are federal entitling conditions to the promise, but are contained in the promise, and denote the connexion and dependence of one promise benefit with another.
2. Though faith be required of them that are saved, yea, and repentance, regeneration, holiness, and a new heart also; yet these blessings are all promised in the covenant, as part thereof. but faith itself is no federal condition, but only serves to show what God will do for, and work in such that he as an act of free grace will save.
From hence we may see how woefully blind they are, who assert faith, repentance, and sincere obedience are not only federal conditions of justification, but also are the matter or material cause thereof. And this is to buy the pearl indeed with our own money.
[emphasis bold is mine, sing]
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First, let me say that I don't claim to understand everything Keach said in the quote above. However, certain things are quite plain and without controversy.
Let me make one final attempt to reason with you and your church concerning what Keach said is the biblical relationship between faith on the one hand, and justification AND eternal life on the other.
A. Some preliminary observations:
1. Please note that in the question, the justification and eternal life are considered together in relation to faith, the act of believing. The coupling of justification with eternal life clearly determines which aspect of justification is spoken of… not the legal justification (virtual) at the cross, not the experiential justification (declarative) at initial conversion… BUT the vital/personal (actual) justification at effectual calling to grace and salvation. [Most RBs are ignorant that there are several aspects of justification spoken of in the Scriptures, see 1689.11.4). At effectual calling by God’s appointed and approved time, vital/personal justification, regeneration and adoption occur – in that logical order, though chronologically, it is instantaneous.
2. Please note very carefully that Keach said, “Yea as a condition of connection by way of order." He DID NOT just say, ‘Yea as a condition.’ If he has said the latter, then there might be just enough ground to construe that faith, the act of believing, is a condition to vital justification and eternal life. What’s the different between the two?
3. Keach further said, ‘Yea as a condition of connection by way of order, as one thing dependeth on another in logic.’
So what is the logic spoken of? What is the logic by way of order? In which order is logic exhibited? Does the logic of order consist in ‘the act of believing as a condition IN ORDER to obtain actual justification before God and eternal life? Or does the logic of order consist in ‘the act of believing gives evidence of the justified state and possession of eternal life by God’s free grace’? In which is there logic - the former or the latter?
Is there logic in the view that a condemned [i.e. un-justified] man and dead in trespasses and sins [i.e. devoid of eternal life] is able to believe [a spiritual activity] IN ORDER to obtain justification and eternal life?
Is there logic in the view that a justified man [i.e. no longer condemned] with eternal life [i.e. no longer dead in trespasses and sins] believes to manifest and evidence his justified state and eternal life?
4. Keach illustrated the logic spoken of with various examples:
a. “If a creature be a man, he IS a rational creature; [semi colon]”
- ‘If a man believes, he IS a spiritual creature.’ If a man believes, he does so because he IS a spiritual creature, he possesses eternal life, and only a justified man (with condemnation of death removed and imputed with the righteousness of life) is able to believe. There is plain logic in this. Also, it is perfectly Scriptural, "The just shall live by faith." It is the justified ones that shall live by faith. It is not 'the condemned shall believe and be justified'!
- ‘If an un-justified man, dead in trespasses and sins, shall believe, then he will become a spiritual being’ is not only anti-scriptural but also plain irrational nonsense.
b. “if God be the first cause, he is the Creator of all things, and in this sense (saith he) creation is a condition of salvation, if a man be saved, he must be created; [semi colon]”
- ‘If a man be saved, he must be created.’ It is claimed and insisted that ‘created’ here means physical creation. What logic or connection has physical creation to do with salvation (justification and eternal life)?
- ‘Creation is a condition of salvation’: Spiritual creation by the sovereign and free grace act of God applies personally to an elect the eternal salvation purchased by Jesus Christ is a condition - of connection by way of order – of salvation. With the new creation, there is evidence or manifestation that the salvation secured by Jesus Christ is applied personally.
– ‘If a man be saved, he must be created.’ The Scriptures plainly declare that spiritual creation, i.e. regeneration or the new birth from heaven is prerequisite to salvation. Except a man be born again, he CANNOT see… CANNOT enter…’ His seeing and entering is a condition of connection by way of order that salvation HAS BEEN applied personally by God’s free grace.
- The logic of ‘If a man be saved, he must be created’ is simply this: spiritual creation precedes believing in order to evidence and manifest that eternal salvation brought about by the free and sovereign work of the new creation by the Triune God.
c. ‘… so if a man believe, he shall be saved; [semi colon] …’
- ‘He shall be saved’ speak of a salvation that shall be experienced, in distinction from the eternal salvation already bestowed by God’s free and sovereign grace that enables a man to believe. So, don’t latch on to the SOUND of the words and miss the SENSE of what is said. There is an eternal salvation bestowed upon an elect once for all at effectual calling to grace and eternal salvation that enables a child of God to work out his own salvation with fear and trembling. If a man believe, he shall be saved from the evil consequences and chastisement of unbelief in this life as God’s child. Apostle Paul said to Timothy, “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” 1Ti 4:16
d. “believing is a condition of connexion, a state of grace, is thus a condition of a state of glory, by way of connexion in the promise, but one is not the federal condition of another, but both come in as the gift of grace. [period]
- Believing is a condition (of connection by way order) that demonstrates a state of grace and salvation; it is thus a condition of connection by way order of a state of glory. A state of grace and salvation is a state of glory, no longer a state of condemnation. Unbelief is a condition of connection by way order of a state of condemnation.
- ‘Both come in as the gift of grace’ Effectual call to grace and salvation is a gift of grace. The ability to believe is also a work of grace by the Holy Spirit dwelling in the heart.
- ‘The federal condition of one another’ would be making believing as the condition for a condemned and spiritually dead man to comply in order to obtain justification and eternal life.
B. Some Comments:
Keach mentioned at least THREE different ways in which faith is seen as related to Justification and Eternal Life.
1. Faith is understood by some as the "matter or material cause" of Justification and eternal life. Simply stated, this view elevates faith to the same level with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Justification before God requires righteousness; sin brought condemnation. Righteousness is the matter required if the condemnation is to be undone. Faith plays no role whatsoever in the reversal of the condemnation of death! But so many see faith as the material cause of justification and life. Of course, you know enough to reject this as error. Those who see faith in this manner is described by Keach as 'woefully blind' concerning the gospel truth of Justification and Eternal life.
This view may be represented as: Faith/Believing => Justification and Eternal life.
2. Faith is seen by others as the "federal condition" of Justification and eternal life. Faith is a necessary condition that the unjustified condemned dead sinner must have in order to be Justified by the righteousness of Christ. They also trumpet loud and clear that 'faith is a gift of God.' They fail to see the insanity and vanity of the gift of faith to one still dead in trespasses and sins! What good is such a gift to a dead man who is utterly incapable of making use of the gift? This view does distinguish faith of a man from the righteousness of Christ, but this view insists that there must be faith first before the righteousness of Christ is imputed or applied to the condemned. From all that you have written, I understand that you hold to this view.
Keach plainly declares, "faith itself is no federal condition." Those who see faith in this manner is described by Keach as 'woefully blind' concerning the gospel truth of Justification and Eternal life. How woefully blind they are who assert that faith is a federal condition of justification - only the woefully blind believe that the unjustified condemned can meet this federal condition.
This view may be represented as:
Faith => Righteousness of Christ imputed => Justification and Eternal life
All your reading of Keach has not led you to the truth. Instead, you have misrepresented Keach in many ways.
3. Faith is seen by Keach as the "condition of connexion by way of order" of Justification and Eternal life. Put simply, faith is a condition, but a condition of connection by way of order to declare and attest the Justification that has taken place by God's free grace. In exactly the same SENSE, faith is the condition of connection by way of order to declare and attest the eternal life that has been born by God's free grace.
This view may be represented as:
Righteousness of Christ APPLIED personally => Justification + Eternal Life => Faith (the instrument to declare and attest the Justification and Eternal life already bestowed by God's free grace.)
SDC holds to this third view.
God, by His grace, freely justifying and regenerating an elect when in state of condemnation and death IS THE CAUSE.
They, the justified regenerated ones, receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness by faith IS THE EFFECT.
The CAUSE is distinct and separate and prior to the EFFECT. Read 1689.11.1 and it is abundantly clear.
Brother, unless and until you get these basic and fundamental points into your head, you will keep going on in your confusion.
1. God APPLYING the righteousness of Christ to a person under the condemnation of death is Vital/Persona/Actual Justification. An elect under the condemnation of death, i.e. unjustified, is dead and cannot possibly believe.
2. God imputing the faith of a believer to him for righteousness is Declarative/Experiential Justification. An elect person who believes Declares and Experiences that he is already in the state of grace and salvation - justified, regenerated and adopted. Faith declares and attests to that fact. That's what happened in Gen 15.
If your faith is before justification (Actual), you have made faith a federal condition of justification (Actual), the error of which is roundly condemned and censured by Keach.
A representative of the early Particular Baptist and respected by Calvinistic men of other denominations declared, "... no man is evidentially and declaratively justified until he believes." And this is nothing about Vital/Personal/Actual Justification by grace at effectual calling. This is all about Declarative Justification by faith.
Thanks for listening. I have discharged my duty.
sing
"And some believed the things which were spoken,
and some believed not" Acts 28:24
