Francis Turretin - Notes on His Doctrine of Justification

 Turretin On Justification

"Does faith justify us properly and by itself or only relatively and instrumentally? The former we deny; the latter we affirm against the Socinians, Remonstrants and Romanists"

Turretin states the two fold nature of Justification, that it can be on the part of God ("actively") or on the part of man ("passively").  I assume Turretins following discourse has an emphasis on the passive; considering his follow critique on the Socinians, Romanist and Orthodox mainly focuses on the instrumental (and organic/improper) cause of Justification. 

-Turretin see's Faith as a work. It has to be a work for the Socinian and Romish theories to be false. 

On the Socinians its brief, as their theory is essentially making Faith the formal, and instrumental cause. Or as Turretin expresses it "properly and by itself and so is our very righteousness"

Swiftly moving onto Romanist. It seems that they hold to the idea that Faith "begins and merits righteousness itself". Turretins elenctic is against *Council of Trent, Session 6, Canon 9*

His quotation of Bellarmine helps us understand that Faith (according to Rome) is the "first motion" towards God (Bellarmine). While similar to Socinian justification, it seems like Rome's and Bellarmines is that our work of Faith sets the grounds of future merits and righteousness. 

The Orthodox then:

See faith as the "organic and instrumental cause of our justification". Its interesting, however, to see Justification by faith described as 'improper' and 'metonymous'.  The crucks of the argument seems to be that Faith isn't the antecedent grounds for merit/righteousness. I will survey how relevant this point is in relation to [[Calvin on Covenant Theology]]: As Calvin's unilateral idea of grace, meeting covenant stipulations and staying in the covenant seems somewhat related; And how compatible Turretin of Justification is to Calvin's federalism. 

By Turretin describing faith as "Organicam" he seems to mean just instrumental. Almost as if faith acts in a mediatorial manner. With "proprie" meaning that justification IS NOT ascribed to us particularly/properly of Faith 'alone'. 

-Rather Turretins doctrine is that we are Justified by faith improperly {that is that faith is not the sole grounds of righteousness} and "metonymice"/metonymically (As if our faith acts as a reference point to our justification or as Turretin puts is "inasmuch as Christ’s righteousness, which faith apprehends, is the foundation and meritorious cause on account of which we are justified")

Proof that the act of believing is not our righteousness:

Turretin then addresses the mode of Justification under "Proof that the act of believing is not our righteousness."

-He describes the mode of the Socinian and Romish justification as 'kat arsin' (by default) 

and the orthodox by "kata thesin" (by position)

Turretin corroborates his point that Faith is "kata thesin" by using an allusion of St.Paul in Romans 3:24. He also uses John 1:12, Romans 5:17 and Acts:26:18 to demonstrate the instrumental aspect of faith. 

We then see Turretin use Aristotelian rhetoric here, by distinguishing aspects of salvation into the Aristotelian causes: "since the grace of God holds the relation of an efficient principle and the redemption of Christ that of the meritorious cause."

I conclude then, that being Justified 'by faith', according to Turretin, is metonymous for being Justified 'by Christ righteousness", therefore the act of our faith is adjunct the 'object of faith', being Christ righteousness. I conclude this based on a negative statement from Turretin against Socinians/Rome: "Quoad prius, Fides, seu actus credendi non reputatur pro justitia nostra apud Deum per gratuitam acceptilationem."