Rich. Baxters apology against the modest exceptions of Mr. T. Blake and the digression…

2. It must needs be known that the faith which is the Justifying condition, is terminated on Christ himself as the object, and not on his Righteousness which he gives us in Remission: Remission or Righteousness may be the end of the sinner in receiving Christ; but Righteousness or Remission is not the object received by that act which is made the condition of Justification: or at least but a secondary remote object; even as a woman doth not marry a mans Riches, but the Man; though it may be her end in marrying the man, to be enriched by him: nor is her receiving his riches the condition of her first Legal right to them; but her taking the man for her husband. And as a Patient being promised to be cured, if he will take such a man for his Physician, and wholly trust him, renouncing all other: Here it is not receiving Health, or a Cure that is the proper Condition of the Cure: Health and Cure is the end for which the Physician is Accepted and Trusted: but it is himself as a sufficient faithful Physician which is the object of that receiving, which is the condition of the Cure. The like may be showed in other Relations, of a Master and Scholar, Prince and Subjects, Master and Servants, &c. Receiving the persons into relation, from whom we expect the benefit, goes before receiving the benefit it self by them; which is usually the remote end, and not the object of that first reception which is the condition. Our Divines therefore of the Assembly do perfectly define justifying faith to be, A receiving and resting on Christ alone for salvation, as he is offered in the Gospel. It is of dangerous consequence to define justifying Faith to be the Receiving of Justification or Righteousness.

2. It must needs be known that the faith which is the Justifying condition, is terminated on Christ himself as the object, and not on his Righteousness which he gives us in Remission: Remission or Righteousness may be the end of the sinner in receiving Christ; but Righteousness or Remission is not the object received by that act which is made the condition of Justification: or at least but a secondary remote object; even as a woman doth not marry a mans Riches, but the Man; though it may be her end in marrying the man, to be enriched by him: nor is her receiving his riches the condition of her first Legal right to them; but her taking the man for her husband. And as a Patient being promised to be cured, if he will take such a man for his Physitian, and wholly trust him, renouncing all other: Here it is not receiving Health, or a Cure that is the proper Condition of the Cure: Health and Cure is the end for which the Physitian is Accepted and Trusted: but it is himself as a sufficient faithfull Physitian which is the object of that receiving, which is the condition of the Cure. The like may be shewed in other Relations, of a Master and Scholar, Prince and Subjects, Master and Servants, &c. Receiving the persons into relation, from whom we expect the benefit, goes before receiving the benefit it self by them; which is usually the remote end, and not the object of that first reception which is the condition. Our Divines therefore of the Assembly do perfectly define justifying faith to be, A receiving and resting on Christ alone for salvation, as he is offered in the Gospel. It is of dangerous consequence to define justifying Faith to be the Receiving of Justification or Righteousness.