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,…

As if a Father hath many Sons, One living obediently, Others playing the prodigals, and upon his freely-offered pardon and grace one receiveth it thankfully, and the other refuseth it scornfully: Here both the obedient and the penitent son, have all upon free gift, as to Commutative Justice; but on various terms: And yet both merit in point of paternal Governing Justice; but very differently: One meriteth of strict Fatherly Justice; The other only of a forgiving Father, quite on other terms: And it is a Comparative Merit, by which he is fitter for pardon than the Sons that despise it, and spit in the Fathers face. XI. God as a Benefactor and a Governor, giveth some benefits Antecedently to any duty of man: And these are never a Reward to us, (but of Christ perhaps, in some instances.) As Legislation, so the benefits of it, and that attend it, are before Reward and Judgement. But other benefits are given by God both as Benefactor and Legislator, upon condition of some duty of ours in the Antecedent gift, and so in the Judicial sentence and execution that duty is rendered as the reason of our actual Right to them: And these are a Reward. XII. Our first Grace is no Reward, nor merited, because it antecedeth all conditional duty of ours. XIII. Our first Reception of Right to Christ, Pardon and Life, being given on the condition of penitent Acceptance in faith, may be called a Reward, because they are consequent gifts on condition: But because the condition is so slender a thing as the thankful Acceptance of a free gift, Divines agree not of the fitness of the name [Reward and Merit] while they wholly agree about the thing. But our after-mercies and final Glory, being promised on the condition of such a faith as worketh by Love, obedience and improvement of Gods mercies in good works, and patience, ⟨p. 232⟩perseverance and conquest of the Flesh, the World and the Devil; therefore they have more unanimously agreed not only de re, but that the names of Reward and Rewardableness or Merit and Worthiness are here fit; but used only in the fore explained sense. XIV. And though the Scripture oftest use the word [Greek or Hebrew] which most properly signifieth wages, which sounds as more than praemium a Reward, yet we wholly grant you that this is figuratively used, and that no man deserveth wages or any thing commutatively of God:

As if a Father hath many Sons, One living obediently, Others playing the prodigals, and upon his freely-offered pardon and grace one receiveth it thankfully, and the other refuseth it scornfully: Here both the obedient and the penitent son, have all upon free gift, as to Commutative Justice; but on various terms: And yet both merit in point of paternal Governing Justice; but very differently: One meriteth of strict Fatherly Justice; The other only of a forgiving Father, quite on other terms: And it is a Comparative Merit, by which he is fitter for pardon than the Sons that despise it, and spit in the Fathers face. XI. God as a Benefactor and a Governour, giveth some benefits Antecedently to any duty of man: And these are never a Reward to us, (but of Christ perhaps, in some instances.) As Legislation, so the benefits of it, and that attend it, are before Reward and Judgement. But other benefits are given by God both as Benefactor and Legislator, upon condition of some duty of ours in the Antecedent gift, and so in the Judicial sentence and execution that duty is rendered as the reason of our actual Right to them: And these are a Reward. XII. Our first Grace is no Reward, nor merited, because it antecedeth all conditional duty of ours. XIII. Our first Reception of Right to Christ, Pardon and Life, being given on the condition of penitent Acceptance in faith, may be called a Reward, because they are consequent gifts on condition: But because the condition is so slender a thing as the thankful Acceptance of a free gift, Divines agree not of the fitness of the name [Reward and Merit] while they wholly agree about the thing. But our after-mercies and final Glory, being promised on the condition of such a faith as worketh by Love, obedience and improvement of Gods mercies in good works, and patience,