The Scripture Gospel Defended, Postscript 2 – Publishers advertisement
A Poſt-ſcript.
Sect. 1. WHereas divers ſay, they were drawn in to prenx their Names to this Drs. Book, becauſe they were told, that the Errours were expunged: Upon peruſal, I find that it is no ſuch matter; but in Vol. 3. Ser. 3, 4. &c. the Author rather more frequently inculcateth the worſt of them, viz. [That ſin cannot hurt any that are Elect, or that Christ dyed for.] And that [in 1. Joh. It is a powerful means to k…ep th…m from ſinning, to believe that if they ſin, it can do them no hurt.]
Sect. 2. The Text drew him to uſe the Name of ſinning. [I write to you, that you ſin not.] But did not the Contradiction of it to his Doctrine convince him, while he read the Text againſt ſinning; judge whether he took not the thing to be impoſſible? He ſaith, Tho' ſuch do Murder, commit Adultery, Blaſphemy, Idolatry, or any ſuch thing, they are no Murderers, Adulterers, &c. or Sinners; becauſe it is Chriſt's ſin, and not theirs, and cannot be his and theirs too; ſo that they may live in the Act, but cannot ſin.
Object. But it was their ſin once, before it was Chriſts ſin?
Anſw. No; He ſaith, that it was Chriſt's ſin, if not from Eternity, at leaſt above Sixteen Hundred Years before we were born. And he that had no being, could have no ſin: And Gods fore-knowledge of future ſin, maketh not ſin: Nay, he could not fore-know, that which would never be; ſo that indeed, Chriſt could not take our ſin as his, which was not ours, nor ever would be at all: And if he had, yet I hope they will not ſay, that now in Heaven he is the greateſt ſinner. And ſo, there neither was, nor is, any ſin in us or Chriſt.
Sect. 3. But as he repeateth this Errour, I will repeat my Lamentations and Warning to this tempted Sect. Hear it as Speculatoris Tubam, the Watch-mans Trumpet, that would deliver, if it may be, more than his own Soul.
1. Is it poſſible, that that which is evil, and the greateſt evil it ſelf, can be in us, and done by us, and do us no hurt?
2. Can that do no hurt to the Elect, that maketh ſuch calamitous Confuſions in the World? What, that which filleth the Earth with the darkneſs of Ignorance, Idolatry, Infidelity, bloody Wars, Perſecutions, Torments, Flames, Famine, Malignity, and yet do no hurt to any that are Elect, no, not while they are ſuch themſelves?
3. Did Paul call himſelf mad againſt the Saints, unworthy to be called an Apoſtle, a wretched man, for that which did him no hurt?
4. Did David write all the lamenting Words of Pſal. 51. and many others; and Aſaph, Pſal. 77, &c. for that which did them no hurt?
5. Did God pronounce all the Curſes, Lev. 26. and Deut. 27. &c. againſt that ſin that will not hurt the Elect that then lived?
6. Are the recitals of the Jews ſins and puniſhments, Pſal. 78. and 105, 106. &c. of things that cannot hurt the Elect?
7. Did God ſend the Jews into Captivity to Babylon for ſins that do the Elect no hurt; even for penitent Manaſſes's ſins?
8. Are all God's threatnings in the whole Scripture, even ſuch as Chriſt's Words, Joh. 15. Heb. 6. Heb. 10. and Rev. 2, and 3. againſt things that are ſo harmleſs? Muſt we ſerve God acceptably with Reverence and Godly Fear, becauſe he is a conſuming Fire; and becauſe it is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the living God, if no ſin can poſſibly do us any hurt?
9. Doth not this opinion contradict every Article of the Creed, every Petition in the Lords Prayer, and everyone of the Ten Commandements?
10. If it be no hurt to be tormented with poſſeſſions of the Devil, to be Lunatick, Blind, Lame, Dumb, Torn, &c. Why is Chriſt ſo Praiſed for healing ſuch, and why appealeth he to his Works againſt unbelievers?
11. If it be no hurt to be mad, what is Bedlam good for? Or to be tormented with Stone, Collick, Convulſion, or any Diſeaſe; why will theſe Phanaticks ſeek to Phyſicians, uſe Medicines, and groan in Pain? Poſſidonius would confute his Tongue by a ſower-face or a groan; when he ſaid, O Pain, thou ſhalt not make me confeſs that thou art (malum) ill, or bad.
12. Why do we not take up with the three firſt Petitions in the Lords Prayer, if our own Intereſt be not next to be regarded and prayed for?
13. Why pray we for our daily Bread, if there be no hurt to want it; or for the pardon of ſin, if puniſhment be impoſſible, or hurt not; or againſt temptations and the evil one, and evil things, if they be no ſuch?
14. Should none pray but Reprobates, if others have no hurt to deprecate?
15. Why ſhould we compaſſionate the poor, or ſick, if ſin do no hurt to them?
16. Why do men Plow and Sow, and Labour, and Eat, if Famine hurt not, and Labour do no good, becauſe Chriſt hath done all?
17. Why do Miniſters Preach ſo much againſt ſin, if it can do no hurt?
18. What is it that we are to repent of, if ſin do no hurt?
19. Why muſt faſting, and watchfulneſs, and reſiſting temptations be uſed againſt Luſt, and other ſin, if it can do no hurt?
20. What is Baptiſm, the Lords Supper, Confeſſion, and Abſolution then for?
21. Why then ſhould we exhort each other daily, leſt any be hardened by this deceitfulneſs of ſin?
22. Why is he called Leaſt, in the Kingdom of God, who breaketh the leaſt Commandement, and teacheth men ſo?
23. Why is the Education of Children ſo great a Duty, and he that ſpareth the Rod, hateth his Child, if ſin will do them no hurt?
24. What is God's Governing Juſtice good for, in puniſhing ſin, if it hurt not?
25. Why muſt Rulers be Juſt, and a Terrour to them that do evil, if ſin do no hurt?
26. How can that hurt any other Elect Perſon, that hurteth not the ſinner himſelf?
27. Why is it worſe to be caſt into the Sea with a Mill-ſtone, for ſcandalizing the leaſt, if that ſcandal cannot hurt them?
28. Why do Libertines labour to eſcape Priſons, Baniſhments, Fines, or Hanging for ſin, if it can do them no hurt?
29. Why is man's nature afraid of Devils, and the Serpents ſeed, if they cannot hurt us?
30. Why hurt we others by Self-defence▪ and War, if nothing can hurt us?
31. Why hath God put Fear into our Nature, if nothing can hurt us?
32. Was it no hurt to the Elect to be long the Devil's Servants, and to have our Converſion ſo long delayed, as with many it is?
33. Is ſin worſe than ſuffering, if it can do no hurt?
34. Is it no hurt to live and dye in terrible fear of Gods diſpleaſure, and in doubts of our everlaſting ſtate?
35. Is it no hurt to have Faith, Love, Deſire, and Joy, weak, and to have ſtill the remnants of unbelief, and other ſuch like ſins?
36. Is it no hurt to loſe ſome degrees of Love and Holineſs, which we have had?
37. Is it no hurt accordingly to have the leſs of Glory in Heaven?
38. Why are theſe men for Separation and Church-Diſcipline, if ſin do no hurt?
39. Why pray they for Reformation, and Church-proſperity, and the Thouſand Years Glorious State, if ſin be ſo harmleſs a thing?
40. If all that Chriſt Merited, be really the Elects, immediately on his purchaſe, are not all the Elect in Heaven already; yea, before they had any being; whence then is all the groſs Ignorance and Errour, and blind Defence of Satans falſehoods, under the Name of Chriſt and Truth? Why cenſure they Conformiſts and others that differ from them? If all that Chriſt hath, be already ours, and we are as perfect as he, what can Duty, or more Grace, or Heaven, add to us? And why would they have men read their Books, to do no good, and avoid no evil? Is it to make up any imperfection in the Obedience or Righteouſneſs of Chriſt?
41. Did Chriſt redeem us from under his own Government, and the Law of Grace? Are we not under the Law [of Chriſt and Faith, and Liberty] to Chriſt? Or is there any tranſgreſſion, if no Law? Or is it Law that we ſhall not be Ruled and Judged by?
42. Is it no greater Mercy and Grace, to make us like our Saviour in Holineſs, and Gods Image, and the Divine Nature, than not? Are Chriſt's Graces his diſhonour?
43. Is it not a vile abuſe of his Grace, to contemn it, becauſe it is our own? And to take Righteouſneſs to ſtand againſt Free Grace, if it be but our own? And to pervert Pauls Words, that accounted as dung his own Righteouſneſs, which he ſets in competition or oppoſition to Chriſt, calling it that Righteouſneſs which was of (Moſes) Law; when at the ſame Word, he ſets againſt it a Righteouſneſs alſo made his own, which is by the Faith of Chriſt. Could Chriſts Righteouſneſs Juſtify us, if it were not in ſome kind of Cauſality (meritorious, material, or formal) made our own: Can an Accident of another Subject be an Accident of us? And will not diſtinct perſonality continue to Men, as well as to Angels for ever? We abhor the thoughts of any Righteouſneſs that is of our own poſſeſſing or working, otherwiſe than as given and wrought in us, by the Merits of Chriſt, and the Free Gift of undeſerved Grace; or any that muſt not by the ſame Divine Power and Grace be continued. And all that pretendeth to the leaſt part of the Office or Performance of Chriſt; but only what he freely giveth, and which advanceth the Honour of his Merits and Love, and tendeth to Pleaſe and Glorify God, and attain the deſigned End of Redemption and Salvation.
AS to the Twelve Names that are prefixed to the Book, I leave it to themſelves, to ſpeak their own Cauſe: Only I can ſay, that one of them taketh the Words, if mean't, as they are written (and indeed inculcated) to overthrow Chriſtianity, and Humanity. And I doubt not, but ſome of the reſt are of the ſame mind, and had not read the Book, or the Preface, ſo as to know what was in them.
FINIS.
THE CONTENTS.
CHAP. 1. Prefatory. page 1.
Chap. 2. An hundred of their Errors deſcribed. p. 6.
Chap. 3. To moderate the over-hot Cenſurers of their Perſons. p. 38.
Chap. 4. Reaſons for preſent forbearing a tedious Confutation of them, as being fully and often done by me already, and as further, needleſs. p. 58.
Poſt-ſcript. p. 65.
Three BOOKS Lately Publiſhed by Mr. BAXTER, and Printed for Tho. Parkhurſt.
1. ENgliſh Non-Conformity, as under King CHARLES the Second; Truly Stated and Argued.
2. Knowledge and Love.
3. Cain and Abel.
THE Vanity of Continuing Ceremonies in the Worſhip of GOD; by a Miniſter of the Church of England.
An Healing Attempt; Conſcience Satisfied, in Submitting Obedience to King WILLIAM and Queen Mary.
End of the text · Richard Baxter, The Scripture Gospel Defended (1690)