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,…

Two things I was wont in my Ignorance to say against the universal tenor of the new Covenant. 1. That God distinguished and excluded some at the first making of it, under the name of the Seed of the Serpent: But 1. No Scripture giveth us the least ground to think that men equally guilty, are some called the Seed of the Serpent, and some of the Woman, merely as denominated from or distinguished by Gods own will or decree, without any real difference in the persons. 2. And if the Image of Satan in Original sin, were it that denominated the Seed of the Serpent, then all the world should be excluded, because all are such before they are regenerate. 3. Therefore it is plain that it is not mere Original sin that denominateth any one, the Serpents Seed, in the sense of that Text, but a consequent rejection and opposition of the Mediator or Grace of the new Covenant.

Two things I was wont in my Ignorance to say against the universal tenour of the new Covenant. 1. That God distinguished and excluded some at the first making of it, under the name of the Seed of the Serpent: But 1. No Scripture giveth us the least ground to think that men equally guilty, are some called the Seed of the Serpent, and some of the Woman, meerly as denominated from or distinguished by Gods own will or decree, without any real difference in the persons. 2. And if the Image of Satan in Original sin, were it that denominated the Seed of the Serpent, then all the world should be excluded, because all are such before they are regenerate. 3. Therefore it is plain that it is not meer Original sin that denominateth any one, the Serpents Seed, in the sence of that Text, but a consequent rejection and opposition of the Mediator or Grace of the new Covenant.

2. I was wont in my great Ignorance in my youth to think, that All men were merely under the first Covenant, till Conversion, and then they came under the second only. But this was but Confusion. To be under a Law or offered Covenant, as the terms of life or death, is one thing; And so all are under a Law or Covenant of Grace, and no man under the mere Law of Innocency; obliged to perfection as the sole condition of life: And to be obedient to this Law, and a Consenter to this Covenant, and so to be in the Covenant as Mutual, is another thing; And this is the case of Consenters only.