A26883:3110
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.
The fifth Crimination.
C. They make Christ to merit only Pardon and Salvation to Believers, but not to have purchased Faith it self for any man. And by that way, no one that he died for would be saved; For Faith is the necessary Gift of God: And if Christ purchased not that, all the rest would be in vain.
B. 1. Let us not here confound the Controversie de nomine & de re: That Christ died to purchase the Act of Faith for us, is no Scripture-phrase, so far as I know. If therefore it be only the phrase which they refuse, you may well bear with them. But as to the matter, they do not deny any of these things, 1. That Christ is the Author and Perfecter of our Faith, as Faith signifieth the Christian Religion, or the Objects and Doctrine of Faith. 2. That our own actual and habitual Faith is the Gift of God; (Though the controversies about the manner of giving it are to be afterward decided). 3. That all that Christ giveth, his Sacrifice procured; and therefore it procured Faith. All this is commonly granted by most School-men, Papists, Lutherans, and moderate Arminians. But, 2. It must be considered that Christ did not die to purchase Faith as immediately, and on the same account, as to satisfy for Sin, and purchase us impunity or Redemption. The proper direct reason of his Sufferings, was to demonstrate the Justice of God against Sin, instead of mans own suffering for it; and thereby to procure Pardon. We may well conceive Christ promising to the Father as it were, [I will suffer for Sinners, that they may not suffer!] But you will hardly describe his Undertaking thus, [I will die, if thou will give men Faith,] or [I will give thee so much of my Blood for so much Faith.] But because he knew that without Grace no man would believe and accept his Gift, therefore he whose Sufferings were primarily satisfaction for Sin, were secondarily meritorious of the means to bring men to the intended nd; that is, of the Word and Spirit, by which Christ causeth Sinners to believe: so that Faith is a fruit of the Death of Christ in a remoter secondary sense. And in all this Name me any Christian Churches that are disagreed.