An end of doctrinal controversies which have lately troubled the churches by reconciling explication without much disputing. Written by Richard Baxter.

SECT. III. Of the Law or Covenant of Grace in the first Edition.

§. 1. AS God delivered the Law of Innocency partly by natural and real, and partly by supernatural and verbal significations of his will, so hath he done the Law of Grace; which is the

signification of his Will concerning Pardon and Life granted to guilty Sinners, and the terms thereof.

§. 2. The Promise, Gen. 3. 15. The seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head, &c. was a Bre∣viate of the supernatural signification; but it is not unlikely, that God did more fully acquaint them with his Law of Grace and Redemption, than those words alone could make us understand: Be∣cause we find in their sacrificing, some such inti∣mation; (and in other signs.)

§. 3. God's actual Continuance of forfeited Life, Liberty, Health, and other comforts, and his actual Collation of many great Mercies by the course of Nature, to such as by Sin have deserved present Damnation, is a degree of signification of his par∣doning will and mercy by these natural signs: (which they were not before sin and forfeiture.)

§. 4. Man being after guilt of death, thus re∣prieved and enriched with manifold Mercies, and his life and faculties continued with many instructing providential helps and means, the very Law of Nature now obligeth him to love and thankfulness to God that sheweth him so great kindness.

§. 5. And the same Law of Nature obligeth him to take that God still for a God of Love and Mer∣cy, and to believe, that what Mercy he hath alrea∣dy shewed the World and us, is on terms which he knoweth to be very well consistent with his Holiness, Truth and Justice: And it obligeth us therefore to seek to him for Mercy, and to use all possible means for further hope and pardon and recovery, and not to sit down in despair.

§. 6. The common sence of all Mankind from Adam to this day, acquainteth us by that expe∣rience,

That these Hopes and Duties are found in the Law of lapsed Nature: For all the World that never heard the Gospel, do yet take God to be a merciful, forgiving God, and take themselves to be under some duty for the obtaining of further mer∣cy, recovery and felicity.

§. 7. Though want of the sense of Sin, and its desert, and Man's misery may be thought by some to be the only cause of this, and so that it is but sinful presumption, and no part of Nature's obli∣gation; yet this upon trial will prove false. (Though what they alledge be one part of the Cause). For, 1. These men do acknow∣ledge themselves Sinners, and to deserve punish∣ment from God. 2. They find some misery and fear more. 3. It is not presumption to judge God to be merciful, when they and all the World do find him so. 4. It is not presumption to judge, that he can and will pardon Sin, when full Expe∣rience assureth us, that he hath already pardoned much. To remit the Sin, is (as we now speak of it) to remit the deserved punishment. And He that giveth Man forfeited life, health, time, and all the abundant Mercies which the World is full of, doth thereby so far actually forgive Sin: Saith Christ, Whether is it easier to say thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say arise, take up thy Bed and walk, that is, Executively to forgive them, which is the full forgiveness, by taking away the punish∣ment. 5. It is no presumption to believe such Duty to be incumbent on us, as the remaining Law of Nature doth oblige us to. 6. Nor yet to take God's own Encouragements to seek our own recovery and felicity.

§. 8. The Light and Law of lapsed Nature doth convince men of the duty of repenting and retur∣ning to God, and oblige them to it. So that as Perfect Obedience was the duty of entire Nature, so Repentance is the duty of laepsed Nature: And I think few will say that all men are not hereby obliged to repent, and that in hope of mercy.

§. 9. Hence it is that it is found among the Communes notitiae, and all the World as well as Christians acknowledge it and plead for it.

§. 10. They that by God's Patience and Mercy are invited to Repentance, which is a return from sin to God, and are by Nature obliged to it, ought to believe that it is not made their Duty in vain, nor shall they lose by it if they perform it; for that were to accuse God of making Mans Duty in vain, or to his loss, which is not to be suspected.

§. 11. Therefore they are bound not to despair of Pa••don and Salvation; for an obligation to use means as tending to recovery, is inconsistent with an obligation to despair. Therefore hope of Mercy and use of some means Mankind is obliged to by the Law of lapsed Nature.

§. 12. This is not the obligation of the Law or Covenant of Innocency; for that Law bound us only as Innocent to keep our Innocency and perfect∣ly therein obey: But it giveth no pardon, nor ap∣pointeth Man any Duty in order to pardon and recovery: Whatever doth this, is a Law of Grace.

§. 13. The sum of that Duty which the Law of Nature now obligeth Man to, is, To consider of all the Mercies which God vouchsafeth Sinners, and thankfully to improve them; to repent of sin, and turn to this God, who sheweth himself a merciful

••ae••doni••g God; To resign themselves to him as their Owner, to obey him as their Ruler, and to love and seek him as their ultimate End; and to believe that his Mercy will not let us be losers in so doing, nor to do it in vain.

§. 14. But the Supernatural Revelation telleth us much more than all this, Of the promised Seed, the means of our Salvation, and of our Duty in belie∣ving them, and of the Certainty and Nature of the Pardon, Deliverance, and Blessedness which we shall attain.

§. 15. The ••receptive part at first was not to Believe as much of Christ, as is necessary since his Ascension; but to Believe what God promised and revealed of him to the Church at that time.

§. 16. Even under the Old Testament, God in∣creased his Revelation of the Messiah gradually: The Prophets spake plainlier of him, than any thing written before. Therefore a more extensive and distinct belief, was needful in one Age than in a former.

§. 17. Yet, even the Apostles were in a state of Salvation, before they understood and believed, that Christ must D•••• for Sin, rise again, Ascend and Intercede in Heaven for his Elect.

§. 18. Yet all this was partly revealed before by the Prophets, and plainly foretold them by Christ himself: Therefore it was not of absolute necessity to Salvation then, to believe all of Christ which had been before Revealed, though it was a duty to them that knew it.

§. 19. Therefore under the Covenant of Grace, the Condition of our right, is narrower than the Duty which we are commanded to perform.

§. ••••. The Promised Benefits (presupposing the

Common Antecedent Mercies) were Summarily, Christ and Life in him: That is, that for the sake of Christ's future Merits we should have Pardon, Justification, Reconciliation with God, Adoption, Sanctification and Glory, and all necessary Helps and Means thereunto.

§. 20. The Penalty was, 1. The* 1.1 P••ivation of Recovery; 2. and a far sorer punishment for Ingratitude and contempt of Christ and Mercy.

§. 21. This Law or Covenant in this first Edition was made with Adam as the Father of all Mankind, and so with all Mankind in him, as truly and as much as the Covenant of In∣nocency was: For, 1. God's Word maketh no difference. 2. Adam was as much after the Com∣mon Father of Mankind, and all we as much in him, as before the Fall. And he that will say that God arbitrarily Judgeth otherwise of us, must prove it if he can. 3. The express Word of God in many places proveth it, joyning Children with their Parents in such Blessings, and therefore inclu∣ding the Children of Adam.

§. 22. The same Covenant with some positive Additions, it pleased God to renew to and with Noah, because he was as a second Head and Fa∣ther to the generality of all Mankind, all coming from his Loins as they did from Adam's.

§. 23. As all Mankind was made the Subjects of God under this Law of Grace, so by it they were all to be Governed and Judged, allowing a diver∣sity of Degrees, in the Promulgation, Mercies and Penalties thereof.

Notes

• * 1.1

  John 3. 18, 19. Matth. 28. 20. Heb. 10. 29, & 2. 3.