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.

I Could here heap up a multitude of Or∣thodox Writers, that do call our personal Righteousness by the title of Evangelical, as signify∣ing by what Rule it doth receive its name.

Animadvers.

But do these Orthodox Writers say, that we are justified by this Righteousness? Both imputed Righteousness and inhe∣rent (which is the same with persnal) Righteousness, is Evan∣gelical; i. e. such as the Gospel doth teach and require, though not both in a like manner; but the one unto Justification, the other unto Sanctification.

Reply.

1. But the present Question is, By what Rule we are denominated inherently righteous? A man would think that here you grant, that it is not by the Law of Works, but of Grace.

2. It is preposterous to say, the Law of Christ requireth Righteousness to Sanctification (in the com∣mon sence of the word Sanctification;) that is, the form to the matter, the relation to the subject: Albe∣dinem ad parietem, similitudinem ad albedinem, pari∣tatem ad numeros, equalitatem ad quantitatem. I should put the other end first.

3. He that affirms a man righteous, and yet deni∣eth that he may thereby be justified, so far as he is righteous, contradicteth himself. If you think, that by the words [so far,] I yield to different de∣grees

of Righteousness: I answer, Not formaliter, but only subjectivè, vel materialiter; and that only when a man hath many causes, or his Cause many parts; he may be righteous in one Cause, or one part of his Cause, and guilty in the rest. But take every Cause, or part of his Cause singly, and he is as to that either Guilty or Not-guilty, that is, Righte∣ous. But as to the Law of Works, we are all guilty, and in respect of every action, though not each re∣spect of each action: So that neither person nor action can by it be pronounced righteous. And our Righteousness, or non-Reatus poenae, according to the Law of Grace, doth neither admit of degrees formaliter, vel materialiter immediatè, sed tantum quoad materiam remotam. For the materia immedia∣ta is another relation (Conformity to the Law as in∣stituting the Condition:) and so it is relatio fundata in relatione. And this Condition again consisteth not in the degree of Holiness or Faith; but in the sincerity or truth of it. So that though quoad sancti∣tatem, a man may have more or less Faith and Obe∣dience, yet quoad impletionem conditionis (which is not, to have so much Faith, but to have Faith in that degree as may constitute its sincerity) there is no degree: either we do fulfil it, or we do not, there is no medium.

Notes

• Page 123.