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. 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.

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.

Lib. But still our own Righteousness doth but make us such as thankful persons must be for their Justification by Christ, and is no part of that Justification by faith: For if faith it self be that Righteousness, we have not faith by faith, and faith is not imputed to faith, but Christs Righteousness is it that is imputed.

P. Of Imputation in due place; 1. What need you talk against that which none of us assert? Do we not all hold, that our personal Gospel-Righteousness is subordinate to Christs, and is by his Gift, as ou• Wisdom and Sanctification is? Who dreameth that our faith is any part of Christs Righteousness? But why do you waste time in vain cavilling against plain certain truth? Is there any thing in Name or Thing asserted by us that you can deny or question? Quest. 1. Do you deny that Scripture commandeth us to Believe that we may be justified?

P. Of Imputation in due place; 1. What need you talk against that which none of us assert? Do we not all hold, that our personal Gospel-Righteousness is subordinate to Christs, and is by his Gift, as ou• Wisdom and Sanctisication is? Who dreameth that our faith is any part of Christs Righteousness? But why do you waste time in vain cavilling against plain certain truth? Is there any thing in Name or Thing asserted by us that you can deny or question? Quest. 1. Do you deny that Scripture commandeth us to Believe that we may be justified?

Lib. No.

P. Quest. 2. Or that we are commanded not only Thankfully to Accept, but Thankfully to obey our Lord, Redeemer and Saviour?

Lib. No.

P. Quest. 3. Date you deny, that life or death eternal dependeth on this as a Condition or Moral means? and that we shall be judged according to it?

Lib. No. I deny it not.

P. Quest. 4. Is it not a Law that thus commandeth us, and by which we must be judged?

Lib. Yes, If it were no Law; there were no duty and sin in belief and unbelief.

P. Quest. 5. Is not a man so far just and justifiable by that Law, as he keepeth it? and justifiable against the charge of being one that must be Damned, by producing the Condition of pardon and life performed?

P. Quest. 5. Is not a man so far just and justifyable by that Law, as he keepeth it? and justifyable against the charge of being one that must be Damned, by producing the Condition of pardon and life performed?