A26923:1033
An end of doctrinal controversies which have lately troubled the churches
An end of doctrinal controversies which have lately troubled the churches by reconciling explication without much disputing. Written by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for John Salusbury, 1691
Chapter 23: How Faith justifieth; and how it is imputed to us for Righteousness.
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.
§. 18. Christ's own righteousness being not essentially given to us in it self, but given for us; and to us in the Effects, to say, That the receiving of that which is not given, is the only justifying act of Faith, is to say, That we are not justified by Faith at all. But if they mean the Effects of Christ's Righteousness, ⟨p. 273⟩then it is but to say, We are justified by no act of Faith, but by consenting to be justified by Christ's Merits: Which is not true.
§. 19. They contradict themselves that make Christ's Priestly Office the only Object of Justifying Faith, and yet make his whole Righteousness and Merit that Object: For who knoweth not, that all Christ's Righteousness was not performed by him only as Priest.
§. 20. And Christ's Priesthood hath many other actions belonging to it, besides his Merits offered for us: Even his present Intercession: Which must be excluded, if Christ's Righteousness here, as under the Law, were the only Object of this Faith.
§. 21. II. The second Question I had never troubled the World about so much as I have done, had I not found too many Protestants scandalize the Papists, by laying too much on the Nation of Instrumentality, ill explained. But the judicious are here all in sense of the same mind.