A26883:1465
Richard Baxter's Catholic theology plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriors who,…Richard Baxter's Catholick theologie plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriours who,…
Richard Baxter's Catholic theology plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriors who, 1. by contending about things unrevealed or not understood, 2. and by taking verbal differences for real,Richard Baxter's Catholick theologie plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriours who, 1. by contending about things unrevealed or not understood, 2. and by taking verbal differences for real,
London: printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons, 1675
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
136. It is greatly to be noted, that as a Reward is in the formal notion more than not punishing (where materially they are the same) so Christ hath not at all merited that eternal Life should be ours, by way of Reward for our fulfilling the Law in him, but that it should ours by his free Gift, as a Reward to Christ for his own Merits. So that the Relation of a Reward for Perfection, belongeth only formally to Christ, (who taketh it as his benefit that we are saved through his love to Souls) but not at all to us. And to say (as too many hold) that Heaven is our Reward for our perfection of Holiness and Obedience in and by Christ, is a Humane Invention, subverting Christ's Gospel; or unfit speech, if better meant.
137. Yet a Reward it is to us, to be glorified; but that is not for our fulfilling the Law of Innocency by Christ, but for our believing in Christ, and performing the conditions of the Covenant of Grace: which giveth us Life as a free Gift; but yet in the order of the condition it hath the relation, and name of a Reward to us, in the Scripture.
138. So that here are three rewarding Covenants before us: 1. The Covenant or Law of Innocency rewarding man for perfection to the end; And this rewarded none but Christ: And it is false that we are rewarded by that Covenant, or justified by it, for Christ's fulfilling it. But it 1justified Christ. 2. The Law or Covenant made only to and with Christ the Mediator: And this Covenant further rewarded Christ as Mediator, giving him all that it promised to himself and us, for his performing the mediatorial conditions. And so our Life is Christ's Reward. 3. The Covenant or Law of Grace (for it is the same thing in several respects that's called the Law and the Covenant), which giving Life on the condition of Faith, doth justify and reward Believers. And we are justified and rewarded by no other Law.