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,…

The first Crimination.

C. Their Crime is that they overthrow the comfort of Believers, by denying them any certainty of Salvation.^*

1. *Paraeus himself maketh such an Intercision of Justification in Believers as I cannot own (in Bellarm. de Amiss. Grat. l. 1. c. 7.) Fides tunc dicitur Justificare quum actum proprium accipiendi remissionem peccatorum exercet. Hinc vero actum non exercet neque exercere potest fides aegra, saucia, sordibus carnis oppressa, peccatorum compedibus quasi ligata:—Justificati• la••i• D••• non imputat peccata; nempe resipiscentibus: Ante resipiscentiam certe imputat, infligendo poenas temporals, & imputarit •tiam ••fligendo poenas aeternas nisi resipiscerent.—Tunc igitur fides in lapsis habitualiter tantum •ane•s proprie Justificans dici, aut cos Justificare non potest.] But his reason is bad: For faith is not called Justifying for the Reason which he giveth. The like say the Polonian Protestants in Colloq. Thorun. de Grat. Sect. 2. n. 11. Falso accusamur quasi statuamus semel justificatos Dei Gratiam •jusque certitudinem & ipsum Spiritum Sanctum non posse amittere, quamvis in peccatis, pro lubitu, volutentur. Cum contra potius doceamus ipsos etiam renat•s quoties in peccata contra conscientiam recidunt, in iisque aliquandum perseverent, nec fidem veram, nec Dei gratiam justificantem, nedum ejus certitudinem aut Spiritum Sanctum pro tempore retinere: sed novum irae ac mortis aeternae reatum incurrere: Ac propterea nisi Speciali Dei gratia excitante (quod in electis fieri non dubitamus) ad resipiscentiam iterm renoventur, reipsa etiam damnandos esse.] This is the same with the Doctrine of Augustine and Musculus, or near it. Yea, both Ursine and Pareus seem to come as far: Catech. de Peccat. actuali [Peccatum regnans est cui peccans non repugnat ideoque fit obnoxius aeternae morti nisi, &c. Propter quod non tantum ex ordine justiiae Dei, sed ex reipsa, aeternarum poenarum reus est qui illud habet. Talia sunt omnia peccata in non renatis, quaedam etiam in renatis: ut error in fundmento fidei, & lapsus contra conscientiam; cum quibus fiducia remissionis peccatorum, & consolatio vera non consistit; donec resipiscant. Quod enim etiam renati posst cadere in peccatum regnans, satis ostendunt tristissimi lapsus Sanctissiomrum hominum, ut Aarons, Davidis, &c. Rob. Baronim in his excellent little Treat. de Pec. Mort. & veniali, saith that by Mortal Sins the regenerate may, 1. Be excluded from that Grace and favour of God, by which he before loved them, ye he incurreth Gods hatred and displeasure, so far, &c. 2. Their Prayers, Thanks, Obedience, yea nothing that proceedeth from them, is then acceptable to God. 3. In that state God cannot forgive them, and give them peace of Conscience and joy.