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

3. In my judgement, it is a mere fancy and delusion, to speak of the receiving a righteousness that we may be justified Constitutivè thereby, in such a sense, as if the righteousness were first to be made ours, in order of nature before our Justification, and then Justification follow because we are righteous; and so these were two things: For to receive Righteousness, and to receive Justification is one thing. Gods justifying us, and pardoning our sin, and his constituting us righteous, and his giving us righteousness, is all one thing under several notions. Yet as God giveth, 1. Conditionally. 2. Actually: so man receiveth, 1. Receptionè Ethica activâ, figuratively called receiving. 2. Reception Physica, propriâ, passivâ: The former goes before Justification: but only as a small, and secondary part of the condition, if properly any (it being the accepting of Christ himself that is the main condition:) The later is nothing at all but Justificari, commonly called, Passive Justification.

3. In my judgement, it is a meer fancy and delusion, to speak of the receiving a righteousness that we may be justified Constitutivè thereby, in such a sense, as if the righteousness were first to be made ours, in order of nature before our Justification, and then Justification follow because we are righteous; and so these were two things: For to receive Righteousness, and to receive Justification is one thing. Gods justifying us, and pardoning our sin, and his constituting us righteous, and his giving us righteousness, is all one thing under severall notions. Yet as God giveth, 1. Conditionally. 2. Actually: so man receiveth, 1. Receptionè Ethica activâ, figuratively called receiving. 2. Receptione Physica, propriâ, passivâ: The former goes before Justification: but only as a small, and secondary part of the condition, if properly any (it being the accepting of Christ himself that is the main condition:) The later is nothing at all but Justificari, commonly called, Passive Justification.

4. Christs Satisfaction or Redemption (solvend• pretium) and merit, cannot be properly received by us: For they are not in themselves given to us (but as Tropically they may be said to be given to us, because the fruit of them is given us.) It was not to us, but to God, that Christ gave satisfaction, and the price of our Redemption. And yet justifying faith doth as necessarily respect Christs satisfaction and merit, as it doth our Justification thereby procured. It is therefore the acknowledging of this Redemption, Satisfaction or Merit, and the receiving of Christ as one that hath redeemed us by satisfaction and merit, and not the receiving that Redemption or Satisfaction our selves. To say therefore, that the justifying act of faith, is only the receiving of Christs Righteousness or of Justification, is to exclude the receiving of Christ himself any way; even to exclude him as satisfier from the justifying act: and to exclude from that act, his Redemption, by bloodshed, satisfaction and merit: For if it be only the receiving of righteousness, that is the justifying act, then it is neither the receiving of Christ himself, nor yet the acknowledgement of his Satisfaction and Redemption by his blood; and so they must say of these as they do of the reception of Christ as Lord, that it is the fides quae justificat, sed non quà justificans.