A27029:475
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
To the reader: TO THE READER. A POSTSCRIPT to the Second Book.
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.
But he impertinently citeth other men, that say, we are justified by Free Grace, and the Righteousness of Christ, and not by Works; as if he would falsely intimate that I deny it, when I neither trust to, nor know any Righteousness that is not merely subordinate to the Righteousness of Christ; and take his Righteousness Habun•l, Active and Passive, to be the only and perfect Meritorious Cause of our Justification, and Salvation of Grace and Glory: And I wonder not, that Paul counted his own Righteousness by the •aw to be dung in comparison of being found in Christ, having his Righteousness. But I abhor the opinion, that Christ's Righteousness given us, is all without us, and none within us, when Christ dwelleth in us; as if 600 Texts of Scripture were all false, that speak of the necessity of an inherent and active Righteousness. I abhor the opinion of any works necessary to Justification or Salvation, or to any common Blessings in the sense of Paul; such as make the reward to be of Debt, and not of Grace. I think few men living, are less tempted to magnify or trust to any worth of their own, than I am. I look not for a bit of Bread, or an hours Ease, or Life, or the Pardon, or Acceptance of one Duty, or of my Holiest Affections (so faulty are they by their great Imperfection) but merely from the Free Grace of ⟨image 79⟩God, and the Merits and Intercession of Christ. But should I take all for Error that this Preface reciteth as such, and all for truth that Dr. Crispe and such men write; I should look for wiser men than him or Mr. Cole, to Anathematize me, rather as an Anti-Gospeller, than a mere Antinomian. And I am the sorrier for the prefixing of t•e Twelve Reverend Names, when I find by their Epistles that they had read this Preface, so full of false Citations and gross Error, and say not a word against it, nor against such a Book.
But he impertinently citeth other men, that say, we are justified by Free Grace, and the Righteousness of Christ, and not by Works; as if he would falsly intimate that I deny it, when I neither trust to, nor know any Righteousness that is not meerly subordinate to the Rig•teousness of Christ; and take his Righteousness Habun•l, Active and Passive, to be the only and perfect Meritorious Cause of our Justification, and Salvation of Grace and Glory: And I wonder not, that Paul counted his own Righteousess by the aw to be dung in compaison of being found in Christ, having his Righteosness. But I abhor the opinion, that Crist's Righteousness given us, is all without us, and none within us, when Christ dwelleth in us; as if 600 Texts of Scripture were all false, that speak of the necessity of an inherent and actve Righteousness. I abhor the opinion of any works necessary to Justification or Salvation, or to any common Blessings in the sense of Paul; such as make the reward to be of Debt, and not of Grace. I think few men living, are less tempted to magnify or trust to any worth of thir own, than I am. I look not for a bit of Bread, or an hurs Ease, or Life, or the Pardon, or Acceptance of one Duty, or of my Holiest Affections (so faulty are they by their great Imperfection) but meerly from the Free Grace of