A treatise of justifying righteousness in two books ... : all published instead of a fuller answer to the assaults in Dr. Tullies Justificatio Paulina ... / by Richard Baxter.

Aphorism.

THis Doctrine was offensive to Melancthon, Bu∣cer, and other moderate Divines.

Animadvers.

What Doctrine? that of Justification by Faith without Works? Where do they take offence at it? Bellarmine (as I have noted before) doth cite Melancthon among others, as teaching that Faith alone doth justifie, though Faith, which justifieth, be not alone, but accompanied with good Works. And if Bucer had taught otherwise, Bellarmine would have been sure to have found it out, and to have told us of it. B. Davenant notes it as a calumny of the Papists, that none of our Writers, except Bucer and Chemnitius, do acknow∣ledg any inherent Righteousness in those that are justified, Omnes (enim) agnoscimus (saith he) & clare profitemur Deum insundere hujusmodi justitiam in ipso actu justificandi; sed negamus sententiam Dei Justificantis ad hanc respicere tanquam ad causam, per quam homo Justificatus constitui∣tur. Dav. de Just. Hab. c. 22. p. 312. If perhaps you mean that Melancthon, Bucer, and others, took offence at the Do∣ctrine o•• Illyricus, and some others, who accounted it Here∣sie

to say, that Good-works are necessary to Salvation, as you say they did, page 329. I answer, It is one thing to say, that Good-works are necessary to Salvation; another thing to say, that they are necessary to Justification. For Justificati∣on must go before Good-works, such as are not only good in themselves, but also good as done by us: But Good-works must go before Salvation, I mean the full and perfect accom∣plishment of it.

Reply.

I mean the Doctrine of them that deny Obedi∣ence to be a Condition of Salvation, or of final Justification at Judgment, and so by denying the grounds of their necessity, bring men to wicked lives. I suppose in this speech the truth of Thesis 78. that our full Justification, and our Glorification, have on our part the same Conditions; and therefore for all you say, it is a denying both, or granting both consequentially, to deny or grant one. I doubt Illyrieus Doctrine was the same in sense with this: For he denied not Good-works to be necessary (as at large you may see in Schlusselburgius contra Majori∣stas;) but that they were necessary to Justification or Salvation, that is, he thought them (as you speak) necessary fruits of Faith; but not necessary means, (i. e. Conditions) of Salvation.

For Bucer, I suppose, you have read what passed between Rivet and Grotius about him. See also Colloq. Ratisbon. p. 302, 308, 313, 567. Illud solum in quaestione de Mercede bonorum operum controversum est, An sit in bonis operibus renatorum aliquod meri∣tum condignum Mercede, quam eis Deus retribuit? Nam vitam aeternam reddi fidelibus bene operanti∣bus,

etiam Coronae & Mercedis loco, nos semper de∣dimus.

For Melanct. vid. Apolog. pro Confess. August. in Art. 20. & in Operum Tom. 2. loc. de Bonis Oper. Nova obedientia est necessaria, necessitate ordinis, causae, & effectûs: item necessitate debiti seu mandati. Item necessitate retinendae fidei—& vitandi poenas tem∣porales & aeternas. Et in Epist. Lugd. edit. 1647. p. 453. he contends, that to speak exactly Agnitio peccatorum is not causa secunda Remissionis (that Mercy is the sole efficient nearest cause:) But it is causa sine qua non; and makes that to be his usual phrase. And that's as much as I; for that's a Condition of Remission. Vid. & Epist. 19. p. 455. & p. 438. Cordatus urbem, vicinas etiam Regiones, & ipsam aulam adversus me concitat, propterea quod in explicanda controversia Justificationis, dixi novam obedientiam necessariam esse ad salutem, &c. And page 446. he adviseth to preach the praises of Good-works rather in Sermons of Repentance, because he observed that many of ours would bear the same Doctrine there, which they would not in the point of Justification. See also Camerar. and Melch. Adamus in his Life.

Davenant's words cited, have nothing that I dis∣like (but only that Grace is said to be infused in ipso actu Justificandi, when the acts are of various na∣tures: But I suppose he means, de tempore only. The rest is before oft replied to.