A26883:4357
Richard Baxter's Catholic theology plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriors who, 1. by contending about things unrevealed or not understood, 2. and by taking verbal differences for real,Richard Baxter's Catholick theologie plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriours who, 1. by contending about things unrevealed or not understood, 2. and by taking verbal differences for real,
London: printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons, 1675
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Lib. V. BY feigning the Covenant of Grace to have Conditions, you make it to be a Covenant of works.
P. Either by works you mean [any humane acts;] And so all Gods Covenants with man (and his Laws) are of works; that is, It is some act of man that they require: For what else can be commanded? Or you mean as Paul doth, when he calls the Jews Law, a Law of works: And if so, you falsify his doctrine or ours. Prove if you can that by works he meaneth every humane Act, and that Faith it self is either no Act of man, or the works meant by him.
P. Either by works you mean [any humane acts;] And so all Gods Covenants with man (and his Laws) are of works; that is, It is some act of man that they require: For what else can be commanded? Or you mean as Paul doth, when he calls the Jews Law, a Law of works: And if so, you falsifie his doctrine or ours. Prove if you can that by works he meaneth every humane Act, and that Faith it self is either no Act of man, or the works meant by him.
Lib. Faith is a work, but it is not put in the Covenant as a work required of us, but as a gift to be given to us freely.
P. Judge whether it be required of us, and that formally as a condition, by such texts as these: (yea whether obedience be not required as a Condition of our salvation, which is promised thereupon?) 1 Tim. 4. 8. Godliness hath the promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. Mark 16. 16. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned. Rom. 10. 8, 9, 10, 13. If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead (N. B. this is an act distinct from accepting his Righteousness) thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto Righteousness, and with the mouth Confession is made unto salvation.—For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Matth. 6. 14, 15. For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if &c. Rev. 22. 14. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have Right to the tree of life, &c. See Isa. 1. 16, 17, 18. & 55. 6▪ 7. Luk. 13. 3, 5. 1 Joh. 1. 9. Act. 3. 19. Heb. 5. 9, &c.
Lib. God promiseth a Reward to our Actions, not as ours, but as h• own gifts.
P. 1. Enough is said of Rewards before: We shall not by such talk as ⟨p. 248⟩this believe either that God Rewardeth himself, or that he Rewardeth not us. But we easily grant that he rewardeth us for nothing which cometh not from his free bounty: For no creature can have any other good. 2. But if Faith, and Love, and Obedience be not commanded to us, but only given us, then they are no Duties, but Gifts only; and unbelief, hatred of God, and disobedience is no sin, nor brings no punishment.
Lib. At least they are no Conditions of the Covenant.
P. Do you think that they are any proper Means of our Justification and Salvation as their End? or not?
Lib. Yes: I dare not say, that they are no means at all; Faith and Repentance are Means of our Pardon, and Holiness and Perseverance of our Glorification.
P. What sort of means do you take them to be?
Lib. They are such Gifts of God as in order must go before Salvation.
P. Going before, signifieth only Antecedency, and not any Means.
Lib. One Gift maketh us fit for a thankful improvement of another.
P. This speaketh them only to be a Means to our Thankful improvement, and not to our Right to the things to be improved.
