The paraselene dismantled of her cloud, or, Baxterianism barefac'd drawn from a literal transcript of Mr. Baxter's, and the judgment of others, in the most radical doctrines of faith, compar'd with those of the Orthodox, both conformist and nonconformist, and transferr'd over by way of test, unto the Papist and Quaker / by Thomas Edwards ...

Baxterian.

THis might be evidenced by many Reasons. 1. It is not saving Faith which is not operative to these effects. It ceaseth to be true (tho it was once so, by its ceasing to be so) whenever it wholly fails of purifying the Heart, and working of Love. Many affirm, that all Graces are se∣minally in Faith, as in their Principle such must grant, that as Faith justifies us first in receiving and relying on Christ, so it continues to ju∣stify us by continuing those Acts, and exerting it self in those other Operations, which are essential to its Nature. And thus some expound James 2. 24. 2. Obedience, good Works and Perseve∣rance, preserve us from those contrary Evils which do sub∣ject Men to Condemnation: I keep my Body under, lest by any means, when I have preach∣ed to others I my self be a Cast-away, 1 Cor. 9. 27. 3. The Gospel-Constitution doth by its Promises and Threatnings make persevering Holiness, Obedience and good Works, the necessary way to Heaven. These are not only a natural, but a moral Meetness for Heaven.—The Gospel Con∣stitution contains Promises and Threatnings, which affect all of us, as a Rule of Happi∣ness and Misery: By these God governs Men, and Mens Hopes or Fears should be di∣rected by these, as their Rule. Dr. Crisp not observing this, (poor Man! it seems he had not attained to our Neonomian Holiness) hath run into those

Mistakes which open a door to all Licentiousness, tho he intended it not. His whole Scheme implies, that Christ doth not distribute Blessings or Punishments by any Rule that refers to the Actings of Men (as knowing that whilst he was scraping his conditional Prerequisites in order to his coming unto and reception with Christ, he might probably fall in the Dirt by the way; Foelix quem faciunt aliena pericula cautum) I have proved the contrary, ch. 8, &c. For if the Covenant of Grace be con∣ditional, and Faith and Re∣pentance are necessary to For∣giveness, &c. the Substance of this must be granted—Christ in the Gospel declares, they shall miss of Heaven, and eternally perish, who are Apostates, ungodly, disobe∣dient and unprofitable, and that for being such.—

Heb. 10. 38, 39. Is this a Threatning or not? Will not Christ deal with Men accord∣ing to it? Is it not true of all Persons? Don't say the E∣lect Believer will not fall a∣way: I think the same, but yet is it the less true, that e∣ven he shall perish if he fall away? Mr. Dan. Williams's Gospel-Truth, &c. p. 112, 113, 117, 118.

Whether God doth require any more of any Sinners for Salvation, than that they be∣lieve in Christ, repent of Sin, persevere in true Holiness, sincere Obedience, or good Works internal and external; and if we do so can we pe∣rish? and doth not the Pro∣mise secure Life upon doing these?—If any Sinner be∣lieve not, and repent not, hath Christ ever promised to

save him? Will any Decree, or the Merits of Christ secure him? Again, if any penitent Believer shall apostatize, prove ungodly and unfruitful, hate God, or neglect to love God and his Neighbour whol∣ly, &c. shall this Man be saved? Hath not Christ deter∣mined the contrary? (even against this once penitent Belie∣ver) will his first Faith save him? A Resolution of these two things, according to the very scope of the Word, will decide the main of this Con∣troversy. These assert the Rule of Christ's rectoral Di∣stributions, and the Decree comes not in opposition to the Methods of his Government, by which we are to govern our Hopes and Fears. Ibid. p. 124, 125.

Should they that are uni∣ted unto Christ apostatize from Faith, they would there∣by forfeit and lose this Union. If any cease to be Believers, they would cease to be Mem∣bers of Christ. This is the scope of John 15. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. And is it not apparent, that Apostacy sinks a Man into no more Unbelief than what pre∣vailed before he believed at all? Ibid. p. 80, 81.

Whether Holiness and sin∣cere Obedience and Perseve∣rance are the way to Heaven, and are required of the Elect as the Conditions of their ob∣taining Salvation; or is Heaven promised to them, if they persevere in Holiness and sin∣cere Obedience, and the loss of Heaven threatned, in case they continue wicked and disobedient, or after Grace turn Apostates. This the Doctor denies, and I affirm. Ibid. p. 107.—What are all

these, if our State be in no Suspence as to what we shall be or do? p. 116.

Etiamsi praesens ad beneficia foederis jus conceditur, &c. Altho a present Right unto the Benefits of the Covenant is granted under the conditi∣on of present Faith, yet the continuation of Right is given from the continuation of Faith. For because it's given to a Be∣liever, and an Apostate is not a Believer, therefore from the Cessation of Faith will the Rights of the Covenant cease.—Justificatio finalis & glori∣ficatio, &c. Final Justifica∣tion and Glorification imme∣diately possessed, are to none of Believers due before final Victory and Perseverance: not as if only in Donations sub termino, because the time of possessing is not yet come, but because a Right unto Possessi∣on is not as yet full but im∣perfect: for the Right is not perfect, where the whole Con∣dition is not as yet perform∣ed. Mr. Baxter's Method. Theol. p. 398.

Q. Is the holy Spirit even unto the end, or Perseverance, promised truly to Believers, and to the holy, absolutely, or under some condition?

Answ. Under a Condition, &c. Ibid. Part 3. p. 218.

Q. Are all or most Christi∣ans certain that they shall persevere?

Answ. No: for most Chri∣stians in the World hold, that Perseverance is uncertain to the Godly, and how can they be certain of it to themselves?—Much more may such live in Joy that are sure of their present State of Grace, tho not of their Perseveranee.—For Experience telleth us,

that tho most of the Christian World are against the Do•…•…rine of certain Perseverance of all true Lelievers, yet many of them live and die in Comfort. Mr. Baxter's end of Doct. Con∣trov. ch. 26. §. 18, 22, 23. (This is quite contrary to the Com∣fort and the grounds thereof that the Psalmist had in his slraits, Psal. 73. 21, 22, 23, 24. and 23. 4, 6.)

That there is a confirmed State or Degree of Holiness that is never lost, I do hold, and that this is attainable, and in that State Men may be certain of Sal∣vation. But whether the least Degrees of habitual Grace be ut∣terly loseable, which prove a present Right to Life, till they are lost, I must plainly profess I do not know; much may be said on both sides, &c.

Whether there be a State of Confirmation here?

Answ. Undoubtedly there are some Christians that are strong, rooted, settled, established, and some that are weak, and like Children toss'd up and down—

There is a need of strength∣ning Grace. It is agreeable to Scripture, Reason and Experi∣ence, to judg, that strengthned Christians stand faster than the weak, and that it is in it self more unlikely that they should be seduced and forsake Christ. Mr. Baxter's end of Doct. Con∣trov. ch. 26. §. 9, 14, 15. (com∣pare this with Isa. 40. 9, 10, 11, 29, 30, 31. Nay, had the Baxte∣rian together with the Papist and Quaker, said that Grace in its degree tends more to the experi∣mental and satisfactory Establish∣ment and Confirmation of a Be∣liever than where it is of a low∣er growth, tho as true in its kind [which they do acknowledg] as the other, it would have been

somewhat to purpose; lut to say this is loseable and not the o∣ther, as it is unscriptural, so it is the very Doctrine of Devils; for they that are most perfectly grown in Grace, by their own Rule, have these their perfect Degrees built but upon that which may essentially be lost, it being but an Improvement of it: and to see a House stand without a Foundation, were to build Castles in the Air with a witness; or to see a House give either a being or permanent footing unto its Basis, is much the same.)