Admonition to William Eyre, Section 3
§. 3.
THe next bout that you have with me, is pag. 25. when you have done with Mr. Burgess. And you there fall on to some purpole, thus: [Mr. Baxter's character of an Antinomian will bring all our Protestant Writers under this censure.]
Repl. Still more falshood! Is the ninth Commandment blotted out of your Decalogue, as the second out of the Papists? Or think you that you are under no Law; or that God sees no iniquity in you, so as to hate it?
But let's hear your proof. [For with him they are Antinomians who hold (1.) That our Evangelical Righteousness is without us in Christ, or performed by him and not by our selves]
Repl. Here are more uncruths then one in these words also, 1. I never said that they who denied this were Autinomians, but that it was a piece of Antinomian doctrine, and that the Antinomians did deny it: Nay lest any should think that I accounted all Antinomians that are offended at this; I added [and some that are no Antinomians, &c. p. 109] I call not all Antinomians that hold any one of their doctrines. 2. It is untrue that all our Protestant Writers are against this, (as I have fully shewed elsewhere) yea or any one accounted Orthodox that ever I met with, as to the sense of my words: For though some of them will not allow the name of Righteousness to our faith and obedience (though the Scripture useth it twenty and twenty times I think) and others commonly will call it Righteousness, but will not say that we are righteous or justified by it. (A strange Righteousness that doth not make righteous formaliter, as it is a strange existent whiteness, that makes no man white, and a strange honesty or goodness, or nebility, that makes no man honest good or noble:) yet do all the Protestants that ever I met with yield to my explicatory Proposition, which I purposely annexed, that none might mistake me and quarrell about words, viz. [I hough Christ performed the conditions of the Law and satisfied for our non performance, yet it is our selves that must perform the conditions of the Gospel,] i. e. by the grace of God. Who deny this but your own Sect, and a few Divines, that in that point joyn with you in making the New Covenant to have no Condition: who are but very few indeed comparatively. Nay of the very Libertines, the first that I remember that taught men when they doubted of the truth of their faith or repentance, to comfort themselves with this perswasion, that Christ hath believed and repented for them, was Saltmarsh; against whom Mr. Gataker hath told you more truth then I perceive you are willing to learn. 3. Here is added to these open untruths a secret calumny: For you deliver it in general terms, as if I did hold that which Divines commonly call our Evangelicall Righteousness to be in our selves and not in Christ. When as I purposely explained my self, to avoid all strife about words, that as Christs Righteousness is called Evangelical, because the Gospel revealeth and giveth it; so our righteousness Evangelical is without us. This you hide, to make the Reader that seeth but your words, to think that I hold some monstrous thing. Be it known therefore to you and all men, That I trust on that Righteousness of Christ which is without me Materially, and formally consisteth in my Right to Impunity and to the Kingdom of Glory; and that I acknowledge no righteousness within me consisting in faith, repentance or obedience, but onelyonly A particular Righteousness required by the new Covenant in meer subordination to Christs Righteousness, as the condition on which it is made ours; which is first in order of nature a meer condition of our full righteousness in Christ, and then secondarily a particular Righteousness it self, when the Cause comes to trial, Whether we did perform that condition or not? If you do not understand these fews words, I intreate you either to study them till you do, or else forbear any more to reproach that which you understand not: and do not intimate me to be an Infidel, in denying Christs Righteousness.
You proceed, [Or (2.) that Justification is a free act of God without any condition on our part for the obtaining of it.]
Rep. This is in sense the same with the former. Here also is more untruths then one intimated or expressed (I confess they fall so thick from you, that I doubt I shall be thought a railer by your party, and too sharp by others, for numbring them to you, and desiring you to repent.) 1. I onelyonly said that [the Antimonians think grace cannot be free if there be any condition on our part for enjoying it.] But doth it follow, that because I say, [the Antinomians say so] that therefore I say [they are Antinomians who do say so.] The Papists say, Episcopacy is a superiour order to Presbyterie: but [they are not therefore Papists that shall so say, unless there be somewhat else so to denominate them.] 2. Do not all the Learned men into whose hands your Book shall fall, know that it is false, that the Protestants do hold the opinion which I here call Antinomian? Do not the Confessions of the Churches, and the generality of Divines make faith the condition of the Covenant, and yet maintain it to be free? If you will speak untruths hereafter, for your credit sake, do it more modestly and warily, and open not your shame in the sight of the world. It were no great wisdom in me on this occasion to heap up the Testimonies of Churches and Divines, in a case so well known.
You adde, [Or else (3.) that Justification is an immanent act, and consequently from eternity, which was the judgement of Alsted, Pemble, Twiss, Rutherford, &c.]
Rep. I think there are at least two untruths and a half here too. 1. Whether it were Rutherford's judgement, let the Reader judge by what is written out of him before. 2. Of Alsted I speak as afore I said against Colvinus. 3. It is half true of Pemble, in that he was once of that opinion, and but half true, because in his Treat. of Iustification he fully asserteth ours. 4. What are these four men to all the Protestant Writers which you affirmed I would bring under this censure?
You adde, [Or (4.) that we must not perform duty for life and salvation, but from life and salvation: or that we must not make the attaning of Justification or salvation the end of our endeavours, but obey in Thankfulness, and because we are justified and saved. &c.]
Rep. 1. In the place quoted page 14. is no such thing in any of the four Editions of that Book. But I well remember the sense of most of it about p. 10. or 11. and that I largely prove it in the Appendix of my Aphor. 2. But indeed dare you say, that all (or any) Protestant Writers do hold this Point? Now God forbid! If they did, I profess seriously I would scarce be called a Protestant, if they held but that one Error alone. Did not you know in this Point, that not onelyonly Learned men, but the ordinary sort of Christians can disprove you? I appeal to all honest men, women and children of understanding, that use to reade Dod, Bolton, Perkins, Preston, Hooker, Rogers, Wheatly, &c. What say you Sirs? Do these Writers teach you that you must use no endeavours for your salvation? that you must do nothing for eternal life? Nay do they teach you that the very unregenerate must do nothing to obtain the life of grace? 3. Truly I hoped well in the beginning that you had not been neer so far gone your self, as to own this desperate opinion. The Lord keep you from practising it, or, I think, you are a lost man. 4. Yet let me tell you, that I further believe, 1. That thankfulness and Love should be the chiefest spring of duty 2. Yea even with the unregenerate, our first labour should be when we have convinced them of sin and misery, and the truth of the Gospel, to possess them with thanks and love for that common redemption, which I suppose you deny; I mean there is matter in Christs common love in his satisfaction, for us to plead with sinners for gratitude (before assurance of special love) though they have no hearts to perceive it to purepose, till God open their hearts by his Spirit: 3. The principle of our new spiritual life is it that Christians must act from, in their whole course. Thus far I say we must act from life and love. 4. And also, from Gods love antecedent to ours.
You conclude, Now let any man who is moderately versed in our Protestant Writers but speak on whom this Arrow falls: I might instance in many others, but I will not put the Reader to so much trouble.
Rep. Now let any man who hath read the ninth Commandment, and the words of Christ, By their fruits ye shall know them, judge. 1. Whether it be not his duty to lament the sinful state of this Brother, and to pray God to forgive him (though I know not whether he will pray so for himself.) 2. And to pitty poor Christians that shall hear and reade the confident words of such men, and have not means to discern their vanity. 3. And judge whether that be not a bad opinion that can entangle even a godly man in such a course of sin: And whether we ought not all to take heed of believing that we are justified before we were born, or that we ought to do nothing for our own salvation; or that pardon is given without any condition, so much as Acceptance. For my part I impute these faults to the Opinion first, and to the man but as from thence. And it may be Gods will to permit him to practice according to the tendency of his doctrine, even in the Book wherein he maintaineth it, that those that cannot understand his errors in themselves, may see them in their effects.