A27029:387
The Scripture Gospel defended, and Christ, grace, and free justification vindicated against the libertines…
The Scripture Gospel defended, and Christ, grace, and free justification vindicated against the libertines ... in two books : the first, a breviate of fifty controversies about justification ... : the second upon the sudden reviving of antinomianism ... and the re-printing of Dr. Crisp's sermons with additions ... / by Richard Baxter ...
London: printed for Tho. Parkhurst, 1690
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.
Note also, that the name is varied according to what is specially noted in the Object, sometime Truth, sometime Goodness: So Christ saith, [The Father hath loved you, because ye have loved me. And Paul, Grace be to all them that love the Lord Jesus in sincerity. If any man love not the Lord Jesus, let him be Anathema Maranatha. And Christ, Luke 14.26. and Mat. 10. He that loveth any better than Christ, cannot be his Disciple. And to be a Disciple, a Christian and a Believer, are all one in Scripture. But when it is the Goodness of another Object that is mentioned, the Act is another thing.
I suppose you will confess that no Faith in Christ and the Promise justifieth us, which doth not in that same instant include, 1. A belief of the Goodness, as well as the Truth of both. 2. A willingness to receive Christ and Grace as good; and a consent to the offer. And if these must concur in the same instant as necessary Conditions of our Justification or Reception of Christ and Grace, call them how you will, and say, Consent is an Effect of Faith▪ or a part of it, all's one to me: But I will say, that Consent is an Effect of one Act of Faith strictly taken; viz. Assent; but a part of it taken for Justifying, Saving Faith.
II. After many and long thoughts of this matter, I think they that will pretend to exactness, must say, that Trust is the Formal Act of Faith, as Trustiness or Fidelity is the Formal Object: And that the Material ⟨p. 94⟩Act is threefold, Assent, Consent and Practice; and none of these, no not Assent is the Formal Act. Both […] and Fides signifie Trust; yea and Credere too. And so Fides, as it signifieth Fidelity, and Fides, as it signifieth Faith or Trust, are the Formal Object and Act. I Assent to the Truth of the Gospel, because I Trust the Veracity or Fidelity of the Author. I Cont to the Covenant, because I Trust the Revealer, Offerer and Promiser. I actually give up my self to Christ, because I Trust him. Mr. Pemble Vindicat. Grat. hath accurately opened this.