A26938:13
How far holiness is the design of Christianity where the nature of holiness and…How far holinesse is the design of Christianity where the nature of holiness and…
How far holiness is the design of Christianity where the nature of holiness and morality is opened, and the doctrine of justification, imputation of sin and righteousness, &c. partly cleared, and vindicated from abuse : in certain propositions, returned to an unknown person, referring to Mr. Fowlers treatise on this subject / by Richard Baxter.How far holinesse is the design of Christianity where the nature of holiness and morality is opened, and the doctrine of justification, imputation of sin and righteousness, &c. partly cleared, and vindicated from abuse : in certain propositions, returned to an unknown person, referring to Mr. Fowlers treatise on this subject / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for Nevill Simons, 1671
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.
And so when we say all the world is distinguished into two sorts, the Unholy and the Holy, or the Ungodly and the Godly, we mean that one part adhere to carnal self and creatures as serviceable to carnal self, and the other part are converted from self to God, and use the Creatures as a means to God, as he is their End. 26. The word Morality is made ambiguous by the loose and various use of men, not used to any accurateness of speech: But the first, famous and most notable acception of the word, is to signify all Virtue and Vice, or conformity and disconformity to the ruling Will or Law of God; ⟨p. 9⟩as Ethics or Morals as distinct from Physics, and other Sciences. And in this usual sense, All things commanded by God are directly, and all things forbidden, reductively, the parts of Morality: That is all Moral Good and Evil: and so faith in Christ is a great part of our true Morality. And they that will needs take the word in any narrower private sense, prepare for quarrels; and are obliged to explain themselves, before they censure others or dispute about an ambiguous word. 27. The sum of Holiness and Morality (which is all one) is, the Love of God as God (including absolute Resignation and Subjection,) and the Love of man and all things for God appearing in them, and served by them. 28. If either Heathens or wicked nominal Christians do take Holiness or Morality to be only the Love of our selves, and our neighbours, and a disposition of mind, and course of life, in which we live orderly, justly and charitably to all, and soberly to our own minds and bodies, and all this only for the maintaining of the temporal prosperity of our selves and others, or for the meriting of a prosperity in the life to come; not at all referring all this to GOD, as the Beginning, the Guide and the ultimate End of all; It is but Analogically called either Holiness or Morality, and not in a proper or univocal sense; because the End is left out which must give being to all true Holiness and Morality. (Of which see my Agreement with Dr. Barlow in my small Tractate of saving Faith.) 29. The meaning of those Divines of my acquaintance, that speak against preaching mere morality, is indeed against these that preach no morality, but the Ethics or analogical Morality of Atheists, who leave out the End;
And so when we say all the world is distinguished into two sorts, the Unholy and the Holy, or the Ungodly and the Godly, we mean that one part adhere to carnal self and creatures as serviceable to carnal self, and the other part are converted from self to God, and use the Creatures as a means to God, as he is their End. 26. The word Morality is made ambiguous by the loose and various use of men, not used to any accurateness of speech: But the first, famous and most notable acception of the word, is to signifie all Virtue and Vice, or conformity and disconformity to the ruling Will or Law of God;