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,…

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. Matth. 11. 19. & 12. 37. Isa. 43. 9. 26. Luke 10. 29. & 16. 15. Deut. 25. 1. Exod. 23. 7, &c. And how widely differ you from most Protestant Divines, who say that Justification is a Judicial Sentence of God as Judge? Though indeed it is of divers sorts.

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 justifie 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 shew, Rom. 8. 33. Isa. 50. 8. Prov. 17. 15. 1 Kings 8. 32. James 2. 21, 24, 25. Rom. 2. 13. Luke 7. 29. Matth. 11. 19. & 12. 37.

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?

Lib. At least I may say, that this is not the great and notable Justification, which is only by Christs Righteousness.

P. We are not contending for its preeminence, but its truth and necessity in a subordinate place. Indeed we have one Justification by our Judges sentence, which hath many parts and causes: God as Donor is one cause, and God as Judge another; And Christ as meriting is the only meritorious cause of the Justifying Gift and Covenant, and Christ as Intercessor another cause, and Christ as Judge another; And our Righteousness as it is our Right to Impunity and life another, and our faith and Repentance are conditions: All this is sure.

P. We are not contending for its preheminence, but its truth and necessity in a subordinate place. Indeed we have one Justification by our Judges sentence, which hath many parts and causes: God as Donor is one cause, and God as Judge another; And Christ as meriting is the only meritorious cause of the Justifying Gift and Covenant, and Christ as Intercessor another cause, and Christ as Judge another; And our Righteousness as it is our Right to Impunity and life another, and our faith and Repentance are conditions: All this is sure.

Lib. But the Justification by faith is our Universal Justification; and that can be only by Christs Righteousness: And we are not to trust to a Righteousness mixed of Christs and ours; nor doth Christs Righteousness need to be patched up with our menstruous rags.

Lib. But the Justification by faith is our Universal Justification; and that can be only by Christs Righteousness: And we are not to trust to a Righteousness mixt of Christs and ours; nor doth Christs Righteousness need to be patcht up with our menstruous rags.

P. 1. No question but Christs Righteousness is perfect, and ours imperfect, and ours is no patch or supplement to Christs: He is not made righteous by our righteousness, but we by his. 2. But that which is perfect in him, is not made perfectly ours; nor formally ours in it self, as distinct from its merited effects. It is not ours as it is Christs. Christ that is our Righteousness, is also made of God to us wisdom and sanctification: And will you say therefore, that we are not to be Wise or Holy, by any Wisdom or Holiness of our own, for fear of adding our patch to Christs? 3. You use to say that Christs Righteousness is ours as Adams sin is ours; and say some, as Adams Righteousness would have been, had he persevered. But 1. Adams Righteousness would have indeed made an Infant initially just by propagation, that is, the innocent Child of an innocent Parent: But as soon as that Infant had the use of Reason and Choice, he must also have a Righteousness of his own, or perish: And this is no patch to Adams righteousness. And indeed in his Infancy he must have a seminal Holiness of his own to justify him, as well as the relation of a Son of Adam. 2. So also, though we are guilty of Adams sin by propagation, yet we have with that guilt, 1. An inherent pravity of our own, 2. And at age our actual sin: And both these are our unrighteousness, as well as Adams sin imputed to us. Even so Christ the second Adam is a Root of a righteous seed: Our Contract by faith is as to him, what our Natural propagation is as to Adam; that is, the Condition of our Interest in his merits: We have as believers an initial righteousness in our relation to Christ; But we have ⟨p. 241⟩also from him, 1. Inherent habitual righteousness; 2. The actual righteousness of faith, and true obedience and love. And these have their proper use and office, without which we must perish. 4. And I must tell you, that the word Universal is too big to be properly given to any mans justification or righteousness, but Christs: Properly he only is Universally justified or righteous, who hath no unrighteousness at all imputable to him, and is justifiable in all things: But the best believer, 1. Was once a sinner originally, 2. Did oft sin actually, 3. Hath still sin in him, 4. And for some sin may be punished by the Magistrate, 5. And for sin is judged and punished by chastisements and death by God, 6.

P. 1. No question but Christs Righteousness is perfect, and ours imperfect, and ours is no patch or supplement to Christs: He is not made righteous by our righteousness, but we by his. 2. But that which is perfect in him, is not made perfectly ours; nor formally ours in it self, as distinct from its merited effects. It is not ours as it is Christs. Christ that is our Righteousness, is also made of God to us wisdom and sanctification: And will you say therefore, that we are not to be Wise or Holy, by any Wisdom or Holiness of our own, for fear of adding our patch to Christs? 3. You use to say that Christs Righteousness is ours as Adams sin is ours; and say some, as Adams Righteousness would have been, had he persevered. But 1. Adams Righteousness would have indeed made an Infant initially just by propagation, that is, the innocent Child of an innocent Parent: But as soon as that Infant had the use of Reason and Choice, he must also have a Righteousness of his own, or perish: And this is no patch to Adams righteousness. And indeed in his Infancy he must have a seminal Holiness of his own to justifie him, as well as the relation of a Son of Adam. 2. So also, though we are guilty of Adams sin by propagation, yet we have with that guilt, 1. An inherent pravity of our own, 2. And at age our actual sin: And both these are our unrighteousness, as well as Adams sin imputed to us. Even so Christ the second Adam is a Root of a righteous seed: Our Contract by faith is as to him, what our Natural propagation is as to Adam; that is, the Condition of our Interest in his merits: We have as believers an initial righteousness in our relation to Christ; But we have

And the earth still cursed for our sake: 7. Yea, which is worst of all, we are still under the penalty of some privations (alas! how great) of Gods Spirit and its Grace, and our Communion with God. And all this must be confessed; And such a one is not Universally justified or just.

And the earth still cursed for our sake: 7. Yea, which is worst of all, we are still under the pena•ty of some privations (alas! how great) of Gods Spirit and its Grace, and our Communion with God. And all this must be confessed; And such a one is not Universally justified or just.