The Scripture Gospel Defended, Title page – Part
THE Scripture Goſpel defended, AND Chriſt, Grace and Free Juſtification Vindicated Againſt the Libertines,
Who uſe the names of CHRIST, FREE GRACE and JUSTIFICATION, to ſubvert the Goſpel, and Chriſtianity, and that Chriſt, Grace and Juſtification, which they in zealous Ignorance think they plead for, to the injury of Chriſt, the danger of Souls, and the ſcandalizing of the weak, the inſulting of Adverſaries, and the Dividing of the Churches.
Yet charitably differencing the wordy Errours of unskilful Opiniaters, from their Practical Piety: And the miſtaken Notions of ſome Excellent Divines, from the groſs Libertine Antinomian Errours.
In Two Books.
The firſt, A Breviate of Fifty Controverſies about Juſtification; written about thirteen years paſt, and caſt by till now, after many provocations, by Preſs, Pulpit and Backbiting.
The ſecond upon the ſudden reviving of Antinomianiſm, which ſeemed almoſt extinct near Thirty four years: And the re-printing of Dr. Criſp's Sermons with Additions; with twelve Reverend Names prefixed for a decoy, when ſome of them abhor the Errour of the Book, and know not what was in it, but yielded by ſurprize only to declare that they believed him that told them that the Additions were a true Copy.
By RICHARD BAXTER, an Offender of the Offenders of the Church, by Defending the Truth and Duty which they fight againſt.
Lux oculos vexat, ubi noctua luminis oſor,
Putrida ſuſpecti vexabunt ulcera tactus.
LONDON, Printed for Tho. Parkhurſt, at the Bible and Three Crowns, at the lower end of Cheapſide. 1690.
HEB. 11.5, 6. Without Faith it is impoſſible to pleaſe God: He that cometh to God muſt believe that He is, and that He is the Rewarder of them that diligently ſeek him.
Luke 19.17. Well, thou good Servant. Becauſe thou haſt been faithful in a very little; have thou Authority over ten Cities▪ So Mat. 25.21.
Mat. 25.34, 40, 46. Inherit the Kindgom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World: For I was hungry and ye gave me Meat — In as much as ye have done it to one of the leaſt of theſe my Brethren, ye have done it to me — And theſe ſhall go into Everlaſting Puniſhment, and the Righteous into Life Eternal.
Gen. 22.16, 17, 18. By my ſelf have I ſworn, ſaith the Lord, becauſe thou haſt done this thing, and haſt not withheld thy Son — &c.
John 16.27. The Father himſelf loveth you, becauſe you have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.
1 John 3.12, 13. Whatſoever we ask we receive of him, becauſe we keep his Commandments, and do thoſe things that are pleaſing in his ſight, and this is his Commandment that we believe on the Name of his Son Jeſus Chriſt and Love one another.
Rev. 3.4. They ſhall walk with me in white, for they are worthy.
Rev. 3.10. Becauſe thou haſt kept the Word of my Patience, I will keep thee, &c.
Mar. 7.29. For this ſaying go thy way, the Devil is gone out, &c.
Mat. 5.20. Except your Righteouſneſs exceed the Righteouſneſs of the Scribes, and Phariſees, you ſhall in no caſe enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Mat. 12.36, 37. Every idle Word that Men ſhall ſpeak, they ſhall give account thereof in the day of Judgment. For by thy Words thou ſhalt be Juſtified, and by thy Words thou ſhalt be Condemned.
Jam. 2.24. You ſee then that by Works a man is Juſtified, and not by Faith only. So v. 13. to the end.
Rom. 8.29, 30. Whom he foreknew, them he predeſtinated to be conformed to the Image of his Son, that he might be the firſt born among many Brethren: And whom he did predeſtinate, them he alſo called: And whom he called them he alſo justified, and whom he justified them be alſo glorified.
Luke 18.13, 14. I tell you, This man went down — Juſtified rather than the other.
Prov. 17.15. He that Juſtifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the Juſt, even they both are abomination to the Lord.
Of Faith imputed to Righteouſneſs, and our being Justified by Faith, See Rom. 3.30, 26. Rom. 4.11, 22, 23, 24. He that conſidereth the different ſence of foreign and foreign, (the first uſually ſignifying the Practical or Preceptive matter that is Righteouſneſs, the ſecond Active efficient Juſtification, and the third the State of the Juſt, Qualitative or Relative, or ipſam Juſtitiam, will the better expound the Word Justification as it is in our Tranſlations.
Rom. 4.24▪ 25. For us alſo to whom it ſhall be imputed (not is before we believe,) if (a Conditional) we believe on him that raiſed up Jeſus our Lord from the dead: Who was delivered for our offences, and was raiſed again for our Juſtification: (Not only obeyed and ſuffered for our Juſtification, but was raiſed for it.) foreign, efficiently to make us juſt relatively and qualitatively, and ſo to juſtify us, and conſequently to judge us juſt.
Exodus 23.7. I will not juſtify the wicked. Obj. Rom. 4 5. He juſtifieth the ungodly, Anſw. Yes: By making him Juſt by Pardon, Adoption and Godlineſs: As he healeth the ſick, and raiſeth the dead, in ſenſu diviſo.
Acts 2.38. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of the Lord Jeſus, for the remiſſion of ſins, 13.38. By him all that believe are Juſtified from all things from which ye could not be juſtified by the Law of Moſes, See Titus 3.6, 7. 1 Cor. 6.8, 9, 10, 11. Rom. 2.13, 14. 1 Peter 1.16, 17. 2 Co… ▪ 9.6.
Rev. 20.12, 13. And the dead were judged out of thoſe things which were written in the Books according to their works, &c. (Which is oft ſaid in Scripture.)
John 5.22.29. The Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all Judgment to the Son, and hath given him authority to Execute Judgment. — They that have Done Good to the Reſurrection of Life, and they that have done evil to the Reſurrection of damnation.
2 Tim. 4.7, 8. I have fought a good fight. — Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteouſneſs, which the Lord the righteous Judge ſhall give me at that day, and not to me only, but to all that love his appearing.
See Heb. 6.10. 1 Cor. 15.58. Col. 3.24. Heb. 11.26. 2. Theſ. 1.5, 6, 7. Mat. 5.12. Mat. 6.2.4.6. & 5.12. & 10.41.42. & 10.29. 1 Cor. 9.17. Rom. 2.5.10. Mat. 7.4.
1 Joh. 1.9. If we confeſs our ſins, he is faithful and juſt to forgive us our ſins, and to cleanſe us from all unrighteouſneſs. So Rom. 10.10.13.
Mat. 6.14, 15. If ye forgive men their treſpaſſes, your heavenly Father will forgive you: But if ye forgive not men. — Neither will.
1 Joh. 3.17. Let no man deceive you: He that doth Righteouſneſs is Righteous.
Iſa. 1.16, 17, 18. Ceaſe to do evil &c. Come now If your ſins be red as crimſon.
Iſa. 55.6, 7. Seek the Lord while he may be found, &c. Let the wicked forſake his way, &c. Let him return to the Lord and he will have mercy on him, &c.
Acts 10.35. In every nation he that feareth God and worketh Righteouſneſs is accepted of him.
Rev. 22.14. Bleſſed are they that do his Commandments, that they …ay have right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in by the Gate into the City.
John 3.18. He that believeth not is condemned already, becauſe, &c.
Rom. 8.9. If any man have not the Spirit of Chriſt, the ſame is none of his. See alſo, verſe 4.5.7.14.
2 Cor. 13.15. Jeſus Chriſt is in you except ye be reprobates.
Col. 1.27. Chriſt in you the hope of glory.
See Eph. 2. What the Elect are before Converſion.
1 Cor. 6.9, 10, 11. Know ye not that the unrighteous ſhall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Be not deceived, neither fornicators — And ſuch were ſome of you: But ye are waſhed, ye are Sanctified, but ye are juſtified in the name of the Lord Jeſus, and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Theſ. 6.10. God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of Love.
Phil. 2.13. Work out your Salvation with fear and trembling: For it is God that worketh, &c.
Rev. 2, & 3. Read the promiſes to him that overcometh.
Mat. 6.19, 20. Lay up for your ſelves a treaſure in heaven.
Luke 16.9. Make you friends of the Mammon of unrighteouſneſs, that when you fa…l they may receive you into the everl…ſting habitations.
Gen. 4.7. If thou doſt well ſhalt thou not be accepted? But if thou, &c.
Luke 13.3.5. Except ye repent ye ſhall all periſh.
Mat. 18.3. Except ye be converted and become as little Children, ye ſhall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Heb. 5.9. He is become the Author of Eternal Salvation to all them that obey him.
Luke 19.27. Theſe mine Enemies that would not I ſhould reign over them.
Heb. 10.33. Caſt not away your confidence which hath great recompenſe of reward, 39. We are not of them that draw back to perdition, but of them that believe to the ſaving of the Soul.
Mat. 18.32, 35. O thou wicked Servant, I forgave thee all that d…bt, becauſe, &c. ſo ſhall my heavenly Father do alſo to you if you from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their treſpaſſes.
The Anſwer to all this by the Adverſaries.
I. By the Infidels, [The Scripture is not the Word of God.]
II. By the Mahometans in ſpecial: [The followers of Chriſt altered it.]
III. By Papiſts, Scripture is to us but what the Church declareth of it; 1. The reading of it, and rejecting ſupplemental Tradition by the Vulgar▪ cauſeth hereſies.
IV. By the Quaker, It is the light within us that is our Rule.
V. The Enthuſiaſts, or Fanaticks, We muſt try Scripture by the Spirit, and not the Spirit by the Scripture: (the Apoſtles Spirit by ours, and not our low meaſure by theirs▪)
VI. The ſeekers. The Scripture muſt firſt be recovered by a true Miniſtry.
VII. The Cabbaliſt and Familiſt; It is not to be underſtood Literally, but Myſtically.
VIII. The Antinomian Libertine: The written word, or at leaſt all that preſcribeth duty and hath conditional promiſes, is but a Covenant of works. The Covenant of Grace is only the Spirits Effectual work: I will, and you ſhall.
A Breviate of the Doctrine of Juſtification, Dilivered in many Books, By RICHARD BAXTER: In many Propoſitions, And the Solution of 50 Controverſies about it.
Written,
1. To end ſuch Controverſies.
2. To confute Raſh Cenſurers and Errours.
3. To inform the Ignorant.
4. To procure Correction from wiſer men, if I miſtake.
Occaſioned by ſome mens Accuſation of me to others, that will not vouchſafe their Inſtruction to my ſelf.
And by the Erroneous and dangerous Writings and Preachings of ſome well-meaning men, ſuch as Mr. Troughton, &c. who at once miſtake and miſreport God's Word and ours, and fight in the dark againſt Chriſtian Faith and Love.
LONDON, Printed for Tho. Parkhurſt, at the Bible and Three Crowns, at the lower end of Cheapſide. 1690.