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,…

Lib. By denying the charge, and appeal to God that I was sincere.

P. So then, your sincerity is so far your justifying righteousness. And what if you are charged with Apostasy, that you fell from Grace, must you not be justified by pleading your Perseverance?

P. So then, your sincerity is so far your justifying righteousness. And what if you are charged with Apostasie, that you fell from Grace, must you not be justified by pleading your Perseverance?

Lib. These are none of the Justification which the Scripture speaketh of: which is only against true accusations, and not against false ones.

Lib. No: I say not that all men are justifiable: But who ever is Justified in Scripture sense, is justified only from a true Accusation.

Lib. No: I say not that all men are justifyable: But who ever is Justified in Scripture sense, is justified only from a true Accusation.

P. What is that true Accusation?

Lib. That he is a sinner, and deserveth damnation according to the Law, and that he hath no righteousness of his own.

P. Must he not confess all this to be True, if it be True? And is not confessing the Guilt which he is accused of, contrary to justifying him? Do you not see here what Confusion you cast your self into for want of noting the various senses of Justification? If by Justifying we mean Making an unjust man just, then it is true that he is justified from his Guilt, that is, he is pardoned; and he is justified from the Laws condemnation, that is, a man condemned by the Law is pardoned; and he is justified from his reigning sin, that is, he is sanctified: But this Justification is not opposite to Accusation, but to Being unjust. But if you speak of Justification by Plea or Sentence, it is contrary to Accusation of Guilt: And so no man is justified that is not Just, or Guiltless in the point of which he is accused. God will by no means clear the guilty, or justify the unjust, Exod. 34. 7, 8. nor say of the wicked, Thou art Righteous, Prov. 24. 24. 1 Pet. 1. 17. & 2. 23. Jer. 11. 20. Rom. 1. 32. & 2. 2. But that you are quite mistaken in saying, that Scripture never mentioneth Justifying man from a false accusation, these and many such Texts show, Rom. 8. 33. Isa. 50. 8. Prov. 17. 15. 1 Kings 8. 32. James 2. 21, 24, 25. Rom. 2. 13. Luke 7. 29.

Lib. But it is not Scripture Justification, unless it be perfect: And all that we do is Imperfect. To justify him in some one thing, is not Justification by faith, but another thing.

Lib. But it is not Scripture Justification, unless it be perfect: And all that we do is Imperfect. To justifie him in some one thing, is not Justification by faith, but another thing.

P. 1. No doubt but Scripture mentioneth both particular Justification as to some particular causes, and a more large Justification from all things that would damn him in Hell. And this latter is the Great Justification by faith, mentioned so oft in Scripture, that is, Upon and by believing we are first made just, by free-given pardon and right to life, (and true sanctification with it); and we are sentenced just, because so first made just. But this is not without our Faith and Repentance. 2. And that Faith and Repentance are a Righteousness Evangelical, that is, a performance of the conditions on which the Covenant of Grace doth freely give us right to Christ, pardon and life; and so are the Constitutive causes of that subordinate Justification.

Lib. But your subordinate Righteousness hath no hand in our Justification.

P. This is but singing over the old Song, by one that will not consider what is answered. Have you thought on all the Texts even now cited▪ Hath faith no hand in our Justification? Hath the performance of a Condition, and the Moral Disposition of the Receiver, no hand in the Reception of a Gift? What think you is the meaning of Christs words, Matth. 12. By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned? What meaneth St. James, that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only? Are men justified by that which hath no hand in their Justification?

Lib. Christ meaneth [before men] and so doth James, and not before God.

P. This is notoriously false, as contrary to the plain Text: Christ speaketh of the Account to be given of our words in the day of Judgement, ⟨p. 240⟩vers. 36. And James speaketh of that which men are saved by, vers. 14. and that Justification which Abraham had, and that in an instance where Man did not justify him, and of that which was faiths life and perfection, vers. 17, 22. and of Gods imputing faith for, righteousness, as to a friend of God, vers. 23. And is this nothing but Justification before men?

P. This is notoriously false, as contrary to the plain Text: Christ speaketh of the Account to be given of our words in the day of Judgement, ⟨p. 240⟩vers. 36. And James speaketh of that which men are saved by, vers. 14. and that Justification which Abraham had, and that in an instance where Man did not justifie him, and of that which was faiths life and perfection, vers. 17, 22. and of Gods imputing faith for, righteousness, as to a friend of God, vers. 23. And is this nothing but Justification before men?

Lib. This is not the justifying of the man, but of his faith?

P. 1. You contradict the Text which saith [Abraham, Rahab, A man is justified by Works]. 2. You contradict your self; For if the faith be justified, the man is justified to be a true believer: For how could a man that fulfilled the Law, as Christ (and Angels) did, be justified, but by justifying his actions? And how can he that fulfilleth the Gospel conditions, be justified in that point, but by justifying that he fulfilled them?