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,…

I. That some think that [the Covenant of Grace must be considered, 1. in its Constitution; and 2. in its Execution: The Constitution of the Covenant is God's firm and unchangeable purpose of saving his Elect, to the praise of his glorious Grace.] For the word signifieth a disposition, appointment, or ordering of matters, whether there be a restipulation or no; (the English word, Covenant, seduceth our understandings): The fixed purpose and determinate counsel of God, in Scripture, is called a Covenant, Jer. 33. 20. II. The execution of this fixed Constitution is God's wise and gracious managing of all things for the accomplishment of that glorious design which he had in the prospect of his eternal counsel, which he steadily and regularly pursueth through all the vicissitudes that his mutable creatures are obnoxious to, &c. pag. 718, 719. 1. On God's part; whatever grace and mercy was in his eternal purpose, that is given out to us by Christ, &c. III. 1. Christ cannot be the foundation of the Covenant, because Christ himself is promised in the Covenant as the great comprehensive blessing, Isa. 49. 8, 9. 2. Free Grace is given as the true reason of the Covenant, Heb. 8. 8. IV. The Constitution of the Covenant in God's purpose and counsel, hath no condition at all: nor is that the Condition of the Covenant required of us on our part, which God promiseth to work in us on his part; nor that which God in Covenant bestoweth; nor that which presupposeth other Covenant mercies antecedent, &c. V. A promise of pardon and life on condition of believing and obeying, is no Covenant of Grace at all, and neither better nor worse than a threatening of condemnation, &c. It's no more a Covenant of Grace than a Covenant of Wrath.—It's no great matter where it is founded. p. 584, 586. VI. God hath not dispensed with one jot or title of the moral Law, but, Do this and live, is as strictly exacted as ever: so that unless a Surety be admitted, and the righteousness of another owned, the case of all the sons of Adam is deplorable and desperate. To deny the righteousness wherein the believing sinner may stand before this righteous and holy God, is to affirm the eternal damnation of all the World. VII. The Covenant mentioned justifieth not, but declareth our Justification, which is the immediate proper effect of Christ's righteousness. VIII.