Apology Against the Exceptions of Black and Kendall, Section Baxter 51
§. 51.
R. B. THat will not trouble you, which troubleth others. To your anſwer I Reply, 1. When we do, with the Scriptures, enquire after Faith in Chriſt crucified, we may well call that a falſe Faith which pretends to be this, and is not this, however true in ſuo genere. Faith in Jupiter, Sol, Mahomet, is true in ſuo genere: and ſo is humane Faith: yet I would call it a falſe Faith, if this ſhould be pretended to be Faith in Chriſt. To believe in Chriſt as man only, or as God only, or as a Guide to Heaven only, and not as a Redeemer by ranſom, or as one that is to juſtifie us, but not to Sanctifie or Rule us; each of theſe is true in ſuo genere, but falſe if they pretend to be that which Scripture calls Faith in Chriſt, and which denominateth Believers. So is it to believe with the underſtanding ſpeculatively and ſuperficially, and yet to Diſſent with the will. I think, if a man ſay, This is the Son, the heir, come let us kill him, and the inheritance ſhall be ours; we will not have this man Reign over us: that theſe are not true Believers, nor have right to Baptiſm, though their belief that he is the heir, be a Dogmatical Faith, true in its kinde.
2. As Ameſius Medulla li. 1. cap. 3. §. 20. Quamvis in Scripturis aliquando Aſſenſus veritati quae eſt de Deo & Chriſto, Joh. 1.50. habetur pro vera fide, includitur tamen ſemper ſpecialis fiducia, atque adeo omnibus in locis ubi ſermo eſt de ſalutari fide, vel praeſupponitur fiducia in Meſsiam, & indicatur tantum determinatio vel applicatio ejus ad perſonam Jeſu Chriſti, vel per aſſenſum illum deſignatur, tanquam effectum per ſuam cauſam. And as words of Knowledge and Aſſent, do in Scripture oft imply affection and conſent, ſo on the contrary, words of conſent and affection do alwaies imply Knowledge and Aſſent. And therefore Faith is ſometime denominated from the Intellectual act Believing, and ſometime from the Wills act Receiving.
3. Do you not know how ordinarily even ſaving Faith it ſelf is denominated from the Intellectual Act alone? when yet you'l confeſs the Will is neceſſarily an Agent in this? many texts might quickly be cited to that end. Thoſe that Ameſius citeth may ſuffice: Joh. 11.25, 26, 27. He that believeth in me ſhall live. Believeſt thou this? yea Lord, I believe that thou art that Chriſt the Son of God, that was to come into the world. Such was Nathaniels faith. Joh. 1.49, 50. 1 Joh. 4.15. Whoſoever ſhall confeſs that Jeſus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and be in God. And 1 Joh. 5.1. Whoſoever believeth that Jeſus is the Chriſt, is born of God. Here is more then Right to Baptiſm. The great doubt was then whether Chriſt were the true Meſſiah, and therefore this was the greateſt and moſt difficult part of Faith, to Aſſent to this; and therefore the whole is denominated from it, it being ſuppoſed, when they believed him to be the only ſufficient and faithful Phyſitian, that they were willing to be healed by him in his way.
4. If you think, as you ſeem by your anſwer to do, that a man may Aſſent to the Truth of the Goſpel with all his heart, and yet be void of Juſtifying Faith, you do not lightly err. Though an unregenerate man may believe as many truths as the Regenerate, yet not with all his heart; Chriſt ſaith Math. 13. The word hath not rooting in him. Doubtleſs, whether or no the Practical underſtanding do unavoidably determine the Will, yet God doth not ſanctifie the underſtanding truly, and leave the Will unſanctified: which muſt be ſaid, if the Dogmatical Faith, that is the Intellectual Aſſent of a wicked man, be as ſtrong as that of a true Believer. Dr. Downam in his Treatiſe of Juſtification, and againſt Mr. Pemble hath ſaid enough of this, to which I refer you. I take that anſwer as equal to ſilence, which yet Mr. Bl. ſo highly values, as to ſay, It will take away all ſcruple.