Catholic Theology Plain Pure Peaceable, Appendix
An Appendix to this Premonition.
SInce the Printing of this, the World hath ſeen a ſpecimen of ſuch contention, as I lament, in a conteſt between a young inſulting Aſſailant, and a jocular contemptuous Defendant; in my judgment both running into extreams; whether verbal or real, their own explications muſt further tell us: The extreams of the former are reprehended by many: By the later, (a perſon of great wit and piety,) I perceive that ſome men have ſuch conceptions of the Covenants of God, as will give occaſion to ſome Readers to think, that by miſ-deſcribing them, I have erred and miſled men, through this and many other Writings. And men that are not able to conquer the obſcuring and tempting notions of their Authors, are ſtill calling for Anſwers to every inconſiderable objection, or contradicting word that is ſuggeſted to them; and little things puzzle and ſtop ſuch Readers (though otherwiſe pious and worthy perſons) who have not by long and accurate ſtudies methodized and digeſted the matter that is diſputed of: Not therefore to offend any man by oppoſition, or to defend other mens extreams; but to prevent the fruſtration of ſome of theſe Writings, and the ſcandal or trouble of my Reader, I muſt take notice;
I. That ſome think that [the Covenant of Grace muſt be conſidered, 1. in its Conſtitution; and 2. in its Execution: The Conſtitution of the Covenant is God's firm and unchangeable purpoſe of ſaving his Elect, to the praiſe of his glorious Grace.] For the word ſignifieth a diſpoſition, appointment, or ordering of matters, whether there be a reſtipulation or no; (the Engliſh word, Covenant, ſeduceth our underſtandings): The fixed purpoſe and determinate counſel of God, in Scripture, is called a Covenant, Jer. 33. 20. II. The execution of this fixed Conſtitution is God's wiſe and gracious managing of all things for the accompliſhment of that glorious deſign which he had in the proſpect of his eternal counſel, which he ſteadily and regularly purſueth through all the viciſſitudes that his mutable creatures are obnoxious to, &c. pag. 718, 719. 1. On God's part; whatever grace and mercy was in his eternal purpoſe, that is given out to us by Chriſt, &c. III. 1. Chriſt cannot be the foundation of the Covenant, becauſe Chriſt himſelf is promiſed in the Covenant as the great comprehenſive bleſſing, Iſa. 49. 8, 9. 2. Free Grace is given as the true reaſon of the Covenant, Heb. 8. 8. IV. The Conſtitution of the Covenant in God's purpoſe and counſel, hath no condition at all: nor is that the Condition of the Covenant required of us on our part, which God promiſeth to work in us on his part; nor that which God in Covenant beſtoweth; nor that which preſuppoſeth other Covenant mercies antecedent, &c. V. A promiſe of pardon and life on condition of believing and obeying, is no Covenant of Grace at all, and neither better nor worſe than a threatning of condemnation, &c. It's no more a Covenant of Grace than a Covenant of Wrath.—It's no great matter where it is founded. p. 584, 586. VI. God hath not diſpenſed with one jot or title of the moral Law, but, Do this and live, is as ſtrictly exacted as ever: ſo that unleſs a Surety be admitted, and the righteouſneſs of another owned, the caſe of all the ſons of Adam is deplorable and deſperate. To deny the righteouſneſs wherein the believing ſinner may ſtand before this righteous and holy God, is to affirm the eternal damnation of all the World. VII. The Covenant mentioned juſtifieth not, but declareth our Juſtification, which is the immediate proper effect of Chriſt's righteouſneſs. VIII. Never any man in his wits affirmed that the righteouſneſs of Chriſt is the formal cauſe of our Juſtification: Give us but leave to call it the material cauſe, or the meritorious cauſe immediately and properly of Juſtification, &c.
Some will think that they are great and heinous errors, which either theſe words, or ſome of mine that ſeem contrary, import: But I muſt crave leave here to follow my uſual method, in ſeparating the Controverſies de re & de nomine; and then I think that even theſe ſtrange words prove not him and me at ſo great a diſtance as they ſeem to intimate. For I grant him as followeth de re.
1. That God hath ſuch a decree of Election or eternal purpoſe as he deſcribeth, and calleth the Conſtitution of the Covenant. 2. That God doth wiſely and graciouſly execute this Decree. 3. That all Grace and Mercy is given by Chriſt: (And therefore ſo far as Mercy is common, Chriſt is the common cauſe of it.) 4. That Chriſt himſelf is a bleſſing or gift decreed, and alſo freely given by God, even from his love to the World, Joh. 3. 16. 5. That God's electing Act, or Decree, as in him, hath no condition: nor his purpoſe to give Chriſt as a Saviour to mankind. 6. On our part no condition is required, either that God may elect us, or that the firſt promiſe of a Saviour be made, or that Chriſt come into the World, or that he fulfill all righteouſneſs, or that he obey, or die, or riſe, or be glorified, or come to judgment, or raiſe the dead, or that he enact it as his Law of Grace, that [he that believeth and is baptized, ſhall be ſaved; and he that believeth not ſhall be damned.] 7. Nor is any condition on our part neceſſary (abſolutely, neceſſitate medii) that the Goſpel, or the firſt Grace, yea the firſt ſpecial Grace be given us. 8. That Chriſt by his ſuffering and merits hath procured to his elect, not only pardon and life if they believe and obey him, but Grace to cauſe them effectually and infallibly to believe, repent, obey, and perſevere. 9. That no man can or will believe and repent, but by his Grace. 10. That to give men a promiſe of pardon and life if they will believe, repent, and obey the Goſpel, is not the whole of Chriſt's Grace to any: but where-ever he giveth this, he giveth alſo much means, and gracious help, by which men may do better than they do, and ſo be more prepared for his further Grace. 11. That if God only gave men a promiſe of pardon if they believe, and gave them no Grace to enable or help them to believe, it would be no ſaving Covenant. 12. God did not repeal his Law of Innocency, (or as he had rather call it, of Perfection); nor did properly diſpenſe with, or relax the preceptive part of it: Nor is it abſolutely ceaſed, as to a capable ſubject: And therefore Chriſt was bound to perfection. 13. God would not have his Law to be without the honour of the perfect performance of mans Mediator, though it be violated by us all. 14. No man is ſaved or juſtified but by the proper merit of Chriſt's perfect obedience; yea, and his habitual holineſs and ſatisfactory ſufferings, advanced in dignity by his divine perfection. 15. This merit, as related to us, ſuppoſeth that Chriſt, as a Sponſor, was the ſecond Adam, the Root of the juſtified, the reconciling Mediator, who obeyed perfectly with that intent, that by his obedience we might be juſtified; and who ſuffered for our ſins, in our room and ſtead; and ſo was in tantum our Vicarius poenae, as ſome phraſe it, or ſubſtitute; and was made a curſe for us, that we might be healed by his ſtripes; as he was obedient, that his righteouſneſs might be the reaſon as a meritorious cauſe of our Juſtification: which ſuppoſeth the relation of an undertaking Redeemer, in our nature doing this, and in our ſtead ſo far forth, as that therefore perfect obedience ſhould not be neceſſary to be performed by our ſelves: And righteouſneſs therefore is imputed to us, that is, we are truly reputed righteous, becauſe we, as believing members of Chriſt, have right to impunity and life, as merited by his righteouſneſs, and freely given to all penitent believers. And Chriſt's own righteouſneſs may be ſaid ſo far to be imputed to us, as to be reckoned or reputed the meritorious cauſe of our right or juſtification, as aforeſaid.
Thus far we are agreed de re: And then de nomine I willingly leave men to their way of ſpeech. 1. If he will call God's Decree, his Covenant in Conſtitution. 2. If he will call the execution of his Decree, his Covenant in execution. 3. If he will call nothing elſe the Covenant of Grace, or at leaſt nothing of narrower extent, but what comprehendeth God's eternal Decrees, and the promiſe and gift of a Redeemer, (and ſo of the reſt,) I cannot help it; his language is his own. But I ſhall tell you further my thoughts de re & de nomine.
1. De re: 1. God's eternal decrees, purpoſes, or election, give no one right to Chriſt, Pardon or Life; and ſo juſtifie no man.
2. The execution of God's Decrees, yea, of Election, hath many Acts beſides Juſtification.
3. It muſt therefore be ſome tranſient Act done in time, & ad extra, by which God juſtifieth men.
4. There are divers ſuch acts concurring in ſeveral ſorts of cauſality, or reſpect.
5. Chriſt's meritorious righteouſneſs and ſatisfaction are the ſole, proper, immediate cauſemeritorious of all the Grace or Mercy procured and given by him, there being no other meritorious cauſe of the ſame kind either more immediate, or at all co-ordinate, and copartner with him.
6. As Chriſt giveth us Holineſs qualitative and active by the real operation of his Spirit, (though he merited it immediately himſelf;) ſo doth he give us right to impunity, to the further Grace of the Spirit, and to Glory, by the inſtrumentality of his Covenant, as by a Teſtament, Deed of Gift, or Law of Grace. Which by ſignifying God's donative will, doth not firſt declare us juſtified, or to have the foreſaid right to Chriſt and Life, but doth firſt give us inſtrumentally that right; and ſo immediately juſtify us. (And God's will giveth us not right as ſecret, or of it ſelf, but by ſuch inſtrumental ſignification.)
7. God hath ſignified his will to us, partly by abſolute gifts and promiſes, and partly by conditional: that ſuch there are, he that denieth, muſt deny much of the Scripture. Chriſt was abſolutely given to fallen mankind for a Redeemer; and ſo was the Conditional Law, or Covenant of Grace; and many other mercies But he hath made and recorded a conditional Gift of Chriſt, as in ſpecial Union, (to be our Head,) and of Pardon and Salvation.
8. It is Chriſt's ſtated Conſtitution, that [he that believeth, and is baptized, ſhall be ſaved, and be that believeth not ſhall be damned, Mar. 16. 16. That if thou confeſs with thy mouth the Lord Jeſus, and believe in thy heart that God raiſed him from the dead, thou ſhalt be ſaved: for with the heart man believeth (Chriſt's reſurrection) unto righteouſneſs, and with the mouth confeſſion is made unto Salvation, Rom, 10. That except you repent you ſhall all periſh, Luke 13. 3, 5. That men muſt repent, and be baptized, for the remiſſion of ſins, Acts 2. 38. And repent and be converted, that their ſins may be blotted out, Acts 3. 19. So, Rev. 22. 14. Matt. 6. 14, 15. Ezek. 33. 14, 16. 1 Tim. 4. 8. Godlineſs is profitable to all things, having the promiſe of the Life that now is, and of that which is to come.] Call theſe Laws, or Covenants, or what you will, we are agreed that all this is the word of God.
9. Theſe terms of life and death are the rule of our practices, and our expectations, by which we muſt live, and by which we ſhall be judged: and therefore we may truly ſay that they are Chriſt's Law. And they are God's ſignified determination of the conditions of life and death, and his donation of our right to Chriſt, Pardon and Life, is contained herein; and therefore this may truly be called Chriſt's Teſtament and Covenant, in ſeveral reſpects.
10. Though all duties be preſcribed by God's Law, and ſo each Precept is a material part; yet formally or ſpecifically the Laws to which theſe material parts belong, muſt be diſtinguiſhed by the diſtinct conditions of life and death.
11. God hath made more Promiſes, Donations and Covenants, than one or two; which muſt not be confounded: 1. His Law and Covenant made to and with man in innocency is one. 2. And his Law and Covenant made to and with Chriſt, as Mediator, is another. 3. And his abſolute promiſe of a Saviour to the World, with the conditional promiſe or Law of Grace conjunct, was the firſt edition of another. And the Goſpel, as after the incarnation promulgate, was a more perfect edition of it: (to paſs by Abraham's Covenant of Peculiarity, and the Moſaical Law, as ſuch.)
12. Though Chriſt be promiſed in one of theſe, and be God's antecedent gift, he may nevertheleſs be the Author of another, (and ſo far the foundation,) as well as the meritorious cauſe.
13. That may be of free Grace which is merited by Chriſt; yea, and that which is annexed to the Evangelical worthineſs of a believer.
14. That may be a condition required of us, to be done by the help of Grace, which yet is the effect of that Grace, and given us by God.
15. It is a true Covenant between God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoſt, and man, which is ſolemnly entred into in Baptiſm: And this is a Covenant of Grace, even that proceedeth purely from Grace; and of Grace, as given by God, and by us accepted. He that will confound theſe various Covenants, Promiſes, and Laws, on pretence of their unity, (though there is doubtleſs a wonderful unity of all the parts both of God's moral (ſignal) means, and his phyſical works) ſhall confound much of Theology.
16. The Law made to Adam never ſaid [either thou or another for thee ſhall obey;] but it bound man to perfect, perpetual, perſonal obedience.
17. Therefore that Law, as it obliged us, is not fulfilled by the obedience of Chriſt, but only as far as it obliged him; nor can any man be juſtified by it, as a fulfiller of it, by himſelf, or by another: nor did Chriſt fulfil it in any other mans perſon, though in his ſtead, ſo far as is aforeſaid.
18. The Law doth not command any man ſince Adam, perfect, perſonal obedience, as the means or condition of life; nor promiſe any life on ſuch a condition as is now naturally impoſſible: but though it be not repealed by God, is ſo far ceaſed, by the ceſſation of the ſubjects capacity to be ſo obliged.
19. The Laws obligation of us to puniſhment is diſpenced with, and diſſolved by a pardon purchaſed by our Mediator.
20. Chriſt's righteouſneſs is nevertheleſs the meritorious cauſe of our righteouſneſs or juſtification, though he juſtify us by the inſtrumentality of his donative Covenant, as giving us right to our Union, and Juſtification and Life; and though our Faith and Repentance be the condition of our Title.
21. We accept two Conceſſions as containing that truth, which ſheweth that we do not much differ de re, could we more happily order our organical conceptions: 1. That Chriſt's righteouſneſs is not the formal cauſe of our Juſtification: 2. p. 596. [Seeing the ſatisfaction was not made IN THE PERSON of the offender, but his ſubſtitute; it was neceſſary that THE BENEFIT of ANOTHERS ſatisfaction ſhould be communicated in ſuch a way as might beſt pleaſe that God whoſe Grace was the only motive to his acceptation of a ſubſtitute: It is the undoubted priviledge of the Giver, to diſpoſe of his own gifts in his own way: And it was abſolutely and indiſpenſibly neceſſary that the ſinner ſhould be duly qualified to receive ſuch tranſcendent favours, purchaſed at ſo dear a rate, and fitted to return the glory to a Redeemer; which an unhumbled, unbelieving, unconverted and unſanctified ſinner could not poſſibly be.] He that writeth this, cannot ſure much differ from me hereabouts.
But he is charitably uncharitable, when he ſaith, [Never any man in his wits affirmed it ſo, (that the righteouſneſs of Chriſt is the formal cauſe of our Juſtification.) It's too charitable to hide that which cannot be hid, of ſo great a number; whom it ſeems he never read (for all his Commiſſion from all the Syſtematical Divines of Germany, &c. p. 696.) And it's too uncharitable to judge ſo many excellent men out of their wits. The truth is, ſo many ſpeak ſo, that I have been doubtful I ſhould be ſmartly cenſured for ſaying otherwiſe.]
Forma qua juſtificamur eſt miſericordia Patris & perfecta Juſtitia filii, ſaith Ant. Fayus in his Accurate Theſes, Th. 60. p. 280. (And by miſericordia Patris being the form, you may ſee how he underſtood Imputation.)
The number that thus ſpeak, are too great here to be recited: ſo that even the moſt judicious Davenant, leſt he ſhould go out of the road, was fain to make this the Theſes to be proved by him; Imputatam Chriſti obedientiam eſſe cauſam formalem juſtificationis noſtrae, probatur; Cap. 28. p. 362. &c. de Inſtit. habit. But let none turn this to our reproach, nor take all theſe for mad; for it is but an unapt name, and by him and many others ſoundly meant: for the greater part of theſe Divines ſay but that Imputatio Juſtitiae Chriſti & Remiſſio peccatorum are the form, not of Juſtification, as in us, but as it is Actus Juſtificantis, (as Altingius, Mareſius, Sharpius, Bucanus, Spanhemius, Nigrinus, Sohnius, Beumler, and many others: And Paraeus, Joh. Crocius de Juſtif. and many more expreſly deny Chriſt's righteouſneſs to be the formal cauſe: And I believe that all they that aſſert it, mean as the reſt, though they ſpeak incautelouſly and unaptly.
And what they mean by [Imputation,] let Davenant ſpeak, ib. c. 27. p. 359. [Imputantur quando illorum intuitus & reſpectus valent nobis ad aliquem effectum, aeque ac ſi a nobis, aut in nobis eſſent,—ſiquis indignus aut ignavus ob paternam virtutem & merita erga rempublicam, in gratiam regis admittatur,—gratum & nobilitatum dicamus per & propter Imputationem virtutis paternae.] This is Bradſhaw's ſenſe, but yet the ſimilitude falls ſhort.
So Altingius ſtates the Queſtion; Loc. Com. part. 2. p. 679. [An juſtificatio conſiſtaet in Imputatione Juſtitiae Chriſti, hoc eſt in Imputationae Juſtitiae per Chriſtum acquiſitae?] And what Proteſtant will deny this?
And Mareſius (with him) ſaith, [Cum Paulo juſtitiae Imputatio & peccatorum remiſſio idem ſint, prout nullum eſt diſcrimen inter ſatisfactionem Chriſti & illius meritum, non eſt neceſſe ſubtilius inter haec dùo ſcrupuloſe diſtinguere, cum remiſſio ſit peccatorum tum commiſſionis, tum omiſſionis & per illam jus plenum ad vitam aeternam habeamus.] (But this needeth ſomewhat more I think,) Loc. 11. p. 284.
And the deſcription of the effect ſheweth what the Imputation is, which Mareſius truly thus deſcribeth, Exeg. Art. 23. p. 326, 327. Tranſit reatu (peccatum orig.) ut non amplius imputetur; adhaeret quidem ei inſeparabiliter Reatus potentialis ſive in actu primo; ut ſonat intrinſecum meritum poenae; ſed ablatus eſt Actualis, ſive quoad actum ſecundum, ut ſonat jus & voluntatem Dei de paena illa adhuc exigenda: N. B.
Thyſius in ſynopſi Leidenſ. Diſp. 33. p. 413. ſaith, [Mirum hic videri non debet Chriſti juſtitiam; non meritoriae ſolum & materialis, imo & Formalis cauſae rationem habere, cum id fiat diverſi mode, nempe qua illa eſt, propter quod, in quo, ſeu ex quo, & per quod juſtificamur.] So he taketh Chriſt's righteouſneſs to be all three, (the meritorious, material, and formal cauſe of our Juſtification.)
De nomine, I add as to our Author: 1. I hope few will follow him, in calling the Decrees of God, the Covenant, and confounding Election and the Covenant in Conſtitution. For my part, I will not.
2. Conſtitution ſignifieth, 1. actum Conſtituentis; 2. more uſually paſſively, ſtatum ſeu rem conſtitutam: God's Eternal Purpoſe is not properly the Covenant in Conſtitution in either ſenſe.
3. God's Eternal Decree is nothing but his Eſſence (for there is nothing in God but God, and nothing but God eternal) denominated, as related to its connoted object, (which from eternity was nothing.) And the Covenant in Conſtitution is not God, nor ſhall be by me ſo called.
4. Nor will I call the whole execution of God's Election by Chriſt, the Covenant in Execution; nor any part of it but that which Scripture ſo calleth.
5. I grant him that foreign is uſually taken for a divine diſpoſition and conſtitution: but that is not meerly in God's Decree, but (as Grotius hath at large opened,) (Praef. ad Annot. in Evang.) as it is God's ſignal revealed determination of the terms of life and death; or as it is a Law and a Covenant on God's part impoſed on us, before we conſent. And Jer. 33. 20. doth not call God's meer Decree, his Covenant; (but his created courſe and law of nature.)
6. He that will but try the Texts which his Concordance referreth him to, and cannot find a multitude of places where the word [Covenant] is taken for ſomewhat elſe than God's Decrees, and their general Execution, even for a Law with its premiant and penal ſanction, and for a free donation or promiſe, which yet hath its proper conditions, as the moralis diſpoſitio recipientium; and that cannot find divers ſuch Covenants made, by God, with Chriſt and us, that are really diſtinct, and not to be confounded, muſt not expect that I here trouble other Readers with ſuch a task as his conviction.
7. I fully agree, that Chriſt's righteouſnrſs is fitly called, both the meritorious and material cauſe of our Righteouſneſs or paſſive Juſtification: (Though I lately read one contending that it cannot be both.) For we mean but that it is that Matter or Thing which meriteth it.
The Firſt Part: OF THE Nature, Relations, Knowledge AND DECREES OF GOD; AND OF FREE-WILL AND PROVIDENCE, As the Objects thereof. Such ſelected Verities as are needful to reconcile the common Differences about Predeſtination, Providence, Grace and Free-will, between the Synodiſts and Arminians, Calviniſts and Lutherans, Dominicans and Jeſuits, &c. By RICHARD BAXTER.
LONDON, Printed by Robert White, for Nevill Simmons at the Princes Arms in St. Pauls Church-yard. MDCLXXV.