Texts that speak of God's Righteousness, as meaning only Man's Righteousness of God's accepting and appointing. For it seems Man's Righteousness must stand, whatever becomes of Christ's. (9.) They obscure and legalize the Doctrine of Faith and Works. Faith in Justification must be the same, as covenanting or consenting to have Christ as Lord and Saviour, or as Christianity itself; viz. It is considered as a Duty performed by us, as a Condition of our Justification, and as a Principle and Root of all Obedience. Again, That Works are the express Condition of the Continuance of our Justification, having the same kind of Causality as Faith, though of somewhat less Efficacy. (10.) That Paul by Works, which he excludes from justifying, understands either Works of the Law of Moses as such, or Works of the Law of Innocency, viz. perfect Works: But Gospel Works must by no means be excluded; yet under their Gospel Works they include all the Duties of the Law; only they must be sure to be imperfect, else they will not justify; and so they surely are, and therefore. cannot justify. (11.) They speak of two Courts in which, or two Bars at which, Men must be justified: The Bar of the Law, and the Bar of the Gospel: Which will well nigh bring in the Popish double Justification. (12.) That a Believer is not perfectly justified in this Life. A perfect and compleat Justification is not to be expected till the Day of Judgment.

What shall we say? Must we be silent, and

for Peace sake quietly give up the glorious Truths of the Gospel? Or if some through Cowardice, or Indifferency of Spirit, or Love of Ease, are willing so to do; shall not others be constrained by the Love of Christ to appear in his Cause? Shall we not warn honest unwary Souls, that these are the Doctrines that are received and spread abroad by our young Generation, even of Dissenting Teachers? Or if they themselves, cunningly, and by Degrees, publish these to be their Sentiments; shall we not tell their Hearers, that there is latent Poison in them, which they discern not? And that a great Body of the Reformation has made themselves a* Captain to return, if not to Egypt, yet so far that way as Mount Sinai, when we seemed almost at the Borders of Canaan?

It is with great Reluctancy, as being unwilling to offend any Man, that I speak these things; and had not appeared in this Public Way, had it not been to give, and to leave a Testimony to the Truth against growing Error. I know that many more able Pens have been engaged in this Controversy: But according to the Ability given me of Christ, I was willing to make this Effort, for the sake especially of that Part of the Country, where Providence has placed me; not so much with respect to what has been printed, but being chiefly moved by observing, that the Infection was very rife amongst Preachers. As to those whom I oppose, I could reason with them, I could beseech them, I could (so far

Mr. Richard Baxter.

1

as I know my own Heart) spend myself to the utmost, for their sakes, and the sake of Souls to whom they minister, if I might be (tho' most unworthy) at all instrumental to convince them of that which I take to be Error, and indeed another Gospel, and none of the Gospel of Christ in its Purity.

That there has been a nearer Approach to the Doctrine of the Church of Rome by those of the Protestant Profession in the Article of Justification, than what was admitted by the first Reformers from Popery, the Papists themselves, are very apprehensive: As appears by a Book intituled, An Exposition of the Doctrine of the Catholic Church. It is taken notice of, both in the Advertisement or Preface, p. 9, 10. and also in the Exposition itself, § 6, and 7. upon the Articles of Justification, and Merit of good Works. Where he saith, Those who are never so little versed in the History of the pretended Reformation, are not ignorant how the first Authors proposed this Article [of Justification] to all the World, as the principal of all the rest, and as the most essential Cause of their Separation. So that this is the most necessary to be well understood. And then, after a cunning and plausible Account of the Doctrine of the Roman Church, as to these Articles, he adds: And indeed we must acknowledge, that the Learned of their Party do not contend so much of late about this Subject, as they did formerly. And there are but few who do not now confess, there ought not to have been a Breach upon this Point. But if this impor

tant Difficulty about Justification, upon which their first Authors laid all their stress, be not looked upon now as essential, by the wisest Persons among them, we leave them to think, what they ought to judge of their Separation, and what Hopes there would be of a Union, if they would but overcome their Prejudice, and quit the Spirit of Contention.

---Pudet hæc Opprobria nobis

Et dici potuisse, & non potuisse refelli.

It will not be improper here (for opening People's Eyes, and shewing them whither we are going) to insert a Passage of Mr. Baxter's, written by himself, in the latter Part of his Time, as I find it in his Life, published by Mr Sylvester: It is as follows: My Censures of the Papists do much differ from what they were at first: I then thought, that their Errors in the Doctrine of Faith were their most dangerous Mistakes, as in the Points of Merit, Justification by Works, Assurance of Salvation, the Nature of Faith, &c. But now I am assured, that their Misexpressions, and misunderstanding us, with our Mistakings of them, and inconvenient expressing our own Opinions, have made the Difference in these Points to appear much greater than they are; and that in some of them it is next to none at all. But the great and irreconcilable Differences lie in their Church Tyranny and Usurpations, and in their great Corruptions and Abasement of God's Worship, together with their befriending of Ignorance and Vice. Part 1. p. 131.

The same Author in his Aphorisms (Thes. 51. p. 130.) hath a saying that I ca'nt forbear taking a little notice of here.-It will be (saith he) a senseless Shift, in such an Accusation, to shew Christ's legal Righteousness, instead of our own evangelical Righteousness; to tell Satan, that Christ hath fulfilled the Law for us, when he is accusing us of not fulfilling the Gospel; Silly Women are made to believe by Antinomian Teachers, that this is a solid way of comforting: But Satan is a better Logician than to take quid pro quo, and to be baffled by such arguing. Answ. The best is, That these Accusations are supposed to be false, and as to every Believer are so; that there would need no Justification in this Matter, unless there were some Devil to bring in a false Charge. But notwithstanding Mr. Baxter's Triumph over his Antinomian Teachers; this one thing believed, that Christ is my Righteousness, and hath fulfilled the Law, and satisfied the Justice of God for me, will bear out, and bear up the Soul against all Charges of Conscience, of Earth and Hell. And if it is not a solid way of comforting, I say that Satan is a more subtle Tempter, than to pursue this Point, but would let such Souls alone in their false Comfort. But forasmuch as he pursues it, it is because he would not let the Soul rest here, in so sure and safe a Rock: For so sure and impregnable is this strong Hold, and blessed Fort, that all the fiery Darts of the Devil cannot Demolish it. He that can by Faith tell Satan, that Christ hath fulfilled the Law,