A26911:180
The defence of the nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of the matter…
The defence of the nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of the matter of their nonconformity against Mr. J. Cheney's answer called The conforming nonconformist, and The nonconforming conformist : to which is added the second part in answer to Mr. Cheney's Five undertakings / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for Benjamin Alsop, 1680
A DEFENCE OF THE NON-CONFORMIST'S Plea for Peace, AGAINST Mr. J. CH… › Chapter 18
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.
2. That the Cross giveth Grace. I answered, that effectually it doth not, because God will not bless unlawful means: But it is appointed by man to give or work Grace. This I proved, 1. Because as it is a Receiving sign into the Church, it delivereth by Investiture the Relative Grace of Church-privileges. 2. As the Water of Baptism worketh morally, by signifying the washing of Christ's Blood; so the Cross is to operate morally, by signifying Christ's Crucifixion, the benefits of the Cross, ⟨p. 49⟩and our duty. But he laid the stress of his Cause on this assertion, That Sacraments, as such, are to give grace otherwise than by such moral operation; and it is no Sacrament that is not instituted to give God's grace otherwise than morally.] I told him how commonly Protestants maintain that they are not instituted to give grace physically; but only morally, and by investiture in relations. And here we broke.
2. That the Cross giveth Grace. I answered, that effectually it doth not, because God will not bless unlawful means: But it is appointed by man to give or work Grace. This I proved, 1. Because as it is a Receiving sign into the Church, it delivereth by Investiture the Relative Grace of Church-priviledges. 2. As the Water of Baptism worketh morally, by signifying the washing of Christ's Blood; so the Cross is to operate morally, by signifying Christ's Crucifixion, the benefits of the Cross, ⟨p. 49⟩and our duty. But he laid the stress of his Cause on this assertion, That Sacraments, as such, are to give grace otherwise than by such moral operation; and it is no Sacrament that is not instituted to give God's grace otherwise than morally.] I told him how commonly Protestants maintain that they are not instituted to give grace physically; but only morally, and by investiture in relations. And here we broke.
And because I must expect that from others that are driven to it, this will be the last refuge; I will add, that even the wisest Papists themselves do maintain only such moral Causality in Sacraments.