An appeal to the light, or, Richard Baxter's account of four accused passages of a sermon on Eph. I,3 published in hope either to procure the convincing instructions of the wise, or to humble and stop the erroneous resisters of the truth. Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. 1674 Approx. 16 KB of XML-encoded text transcribed from 5 1-bit group-IV TIFF page images. Text Creation Partnership, Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) : 2004-08 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1). A26868 Wing B1190 ESTC R10225 12385751 ocm 12385751 60838 This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal . The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Early English books online. (EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A26868) Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 60838) Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 268:6) An appeal to the light, or, Richard Baxter's account of four accused passages of a sermon on Eph. I,3 published in hope either to procure the convincing instructions of the wise, or to humble and stop the erroneous resisters of the truth. Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691. [2], 6 p. Printed for Nevil Simmons ..., London : 1674. Reproduction of original in British Library. Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford. Re-processed by University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Northwestern, with changes to facilitate morpho-syntactic tagging. Gap elements of known extent have been transformed into placeholder characters or elements to simplify the filling in of gaps by user contributors. 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Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements). Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site . eng Bible. -- N.T. -- Ephesians I, 3 -- Sermons. Sermons, English. 2004-03 TCP Assigned for keying and markup 2004-03 Apex CoVantage Keyed and coded from ProQuest page images 2004-04 Mona Logarbo Sampled and proofread 2004-04 Mona Logarbo Text and markup reviewed and edited 2004-07 pfs Batch review (QC) and XML conversion AN APPEAL TO THE LIGHT , OR , RICHARD BAXTER's ACCOUNT OF Four accused Passages of a SERMON on EPH. 1. 3. Published in hope either to procure the convincing instructions of the wise , or to humble and stop the erroneous Resisters of the Truth . Read Ioh. 3. 20 , 21. and Iam. 3. LONDON , Printed for Nevil Simmons at the Princes-Arms in St. Paul's Church-yard , 1674. An Appeal to the LIGHT , &c. IN the Sermon accused by some having before opened 50 Blessings or Priviledges of Believers through Christ , I named 20 counterfeit Priviledges asserted by the Libertines called Antinomians , corrupting the Gospel of Jesus ! so many have since accused that Sermon , ( though no one to my self ) that I think it my duty to give this repetition of those 4 points which I hear they speak against . I. I did assert that Christ's righteousness ( even habitual , active and passive , exalted by his Divine righteousness ) being the fulfilling of his Law and Covenant of Mediation , hath perfectly merited the Reconciliation , Pardon , Justification , Adoption , Sanctification , Glory , and all the good which ever we receive , to be given us freely in his own time , and on his own terms , by his new Covenant , by his Spirit , and by his Providence : and that we are as justly and certainly justified , pardoned and saved by and for this meritorious righteousness and sacrifice of Christ , as if we had done and suffered all our selves : and that he suffered for us , and in our stead , that we might not suffer , and fulfilled all righteousness for us that were sinners : and to these proper uses we have and need no other righteousness ; and though it be not a Scripture phrase , we may truly say that thus Christ's righteousness is imputed to us . But Christ did all this in the person of a Mediator ; and not as our Delegate , Servant or Agent ; nor full Representer of our persons ; that is , his person , and the person of each sinner were not the same indeed , or in Law-sense , nor did God so judge them : God did not so impute our sins to him , as to take the very sins themselves to be his own sins ; for then they would denominate him accordingly , and make him actually hateful to God as they do us , and his person would be corrupted by them : it is therefore ill language ( and strictly not true ) to say that Christ was not only an Ignorant , Infidel , Atheist , a Blasphemer , a Murderer , an Adulterer , a Lyer , but the greatest Sinner in the World , and the worst Person , as having the sins of all the World , or elect , made in themselves his very sins . It was only the punishment which he underwent , as a voluntary sacrifice of propitiation . And it is not true that we did our selves fulfil all righteousness , and satisfie justice , by and in Christ as personating us : nor that God doth judge us to have done all this in and by him ; and so take us to be such as never sinned , as having from our birth to our death perfectly done all commanded us by another : nor are we justified by the Law of innocency , as no sinners : but from that Law , by the Law of Grace ; else we could have no need of Christ's death and satisfaction , nor be capable of any pardon , nor pray for pardon , nor use any means for pardon , nor give any thanks for it , nor need a Law of Grace to give it us , nor a Sacrament to seal it to us ; for he that is reputed never to have sinned , but to have perfectly kept the Law , hath no sin to pardon , or to be washed from by the blood of Christ. And this maketh all God's punishing corrections of us for sin to be none , or to be unjust ; if we are reputed such as never sinned , or such as have made perfect satisfaction by another . Christ's righteousness is ours as to the effects , uses and ends , and in the time , measure and order determined by himself : but it is not ours in the same sense as it is his ; for his person and ours being not the same , ( though Union make us members of his Political Body , not of his Natural ) the same accident cannot be in two ( yea innumerable ) subjects : Christ's righteousness is Divine as well as Humane , and so is his Essence , and is Infinite , and is very God : but we have no righteousness which is our Essence , Infinite , and is very God : we are not Gods : Christ's habitual righteousness is exclusive of all sin , or need of healing Grace , or of a Saviour : but so is not ours : Christ was the very Agent of those acts that are his active righteousness : but we did them not , nor doth God mistake , and think we did them : it is not well said therefore that we are as righteous as Christ , and more righteous than the Angels , as having all the same righteousness that Christ hath , as proprietors of it self : but it is ours in and to all the fruits and effects of it , as it pleased the Father and Son to convey them . And lest any could not remember my words , I told you that Mr. Bradshaw in a little Book of Iustification ( in Latin and English ) hath in a few lines in the Preface told you in what sense Christ's righteousness is and is not imputed to us , just as I mean , and to that I stand . II. I said that we have no Righteousnesses of our own , which answereth the Law of innocency , or satisfyeth it : Nor any which is in stead of the Righteousness of Christ , or any of its proper uses ; nor any which is to joyn with Christs to the same uses and nearest ends ; nor must we ascribe to our own works , the least degree of that which is proper to the meritorious Righteousness , or Sacrifice , or Grace of Christ : But as Christ is our King , and hath freely given his benefits , by the way and terms of a Law of Grace ( the Baptismal Covenant ) so that Covenant or Law must be performed by us through his grace : And we must be judged by that Law : And we must have a Righteousness required by that Law in subordination to Christ's Meritorious Righteousness : And by that personal Righteousness , we must be justified against the contrary charge : that is , we must be justified by our faith against the charge of Infidelity , and by our Repentance against the charge of Impenitency ; and by our Love , Holiness , Obedience and Sincerity , against the charge of final unholiness , rebellion , and being hypocrites : And the day of Judgment will not be to try Christ and his Righteousness , but ( to honour it ) and try us and ours : And all men shall be judged according to their own works : And to be judged , is to be justified or condemned : And salvation or damnation will be adjudged us as we are found to have been personally righteous or unrighteous , in respect to the terms of the Law of Grace ; that is , Believers or unbelievers , penitent or impenitent , holy or unholy ; and no man shall be justified or saved by this plea ; Though I lived and dyed an Atheist , Infidel , Blasphemer , impenitent , unholy , carnal , a dishonest man , a Thief , a Murtherer , an Adulterer ; yet Christ believed , repented , was holy , and just , and sober , and honest , in my stead and person . And yet Salvation as to the Thing it self , is the free gift of God , merited only by Christ for us ; but it is a reward to our obedience , only as to the Order of collation of that free gift : As a Father will give a piece of Gold to his Child that will humbly thank him , and not to him that will despise it . III. I said that God indeed commandeth no Duty which he is not ready to help us to perform , and that he that commandeth us to Believe , Repent and Love him , doth by effectual grace cause all his Elect to Believe , Repent , and Love him ( and sincerely to obey him , and persevere herein ) but that it is not true that his Commands , and Promises , and Operations are of equal extent , so that he Promiseth and Giveth all that he Commandeth , either to All , or to the Elect : For unless we will say as some Papists , that there are Counsels which are no Laws , and Venial Sins , which are but Analogically and not properly called sins , we must believe that all men are Commanded to Love , trust and obey God with all their mind , and soul , and might , yea perfectly ; and that all sin is forbidden , even imperfection of holy duty , and every vain thought , and word , and deed : And he , that saith he hath no sin , is a lyer , for in many things we offend all ; and sin is a transgression of the Law : And it is not meet for a Godly man's mouth to say , either that no man , or no elect man ever sinneth , or that God breaketh his promise as oft as any of them sin ; which must be if he promise and Give all that he commandeth , and not only help or enable men to do more than they do . All the other Counterfeit Priviledges I pass by , because I hear of none accused particularly but these ; and if herein I erre , I crave hereafter the charitable Teaching of them that by accusing , shew that they think their knowledge of these matters is more clear ; professing my desire thankfully to Learn , and to buy the truth at a dearer rate than a recantation of my error . But if I have only opened a weighty part of Christ's Gospel , which babes should understand , and all sober Christians do or should agree in , and have only sought to keep God's Doctrine , Church , and Servants , from such Corruption as looketh too like another Gospel , and if prevalently practised , would be mens utter ruine ; and also to vindicate God's Servants from such scandalous errors , as some envious Writers with great scorn endeavour to fasten on them ; I humbly a●monish all sober Christians , that they own not those errors , and justifie not those accusers , and harden not any insulting adversaries , and ensnare not honest injudicious Christians , or posterity , and to fear lest they should hainously injure that Christ , and that sacred Gospel , which they love : And if they will not Learn of one that differs from them , that they would consider what it is that they defame , lest they take that brand upon themselves , as being of the contrary judgment , which I would have saved them from , and lest they do many Souls such hurt as they cannot cure . IV. And ( on the by , perswading Teachers , not hastily to engage the common hearers though godly , in such Controversies as they are unfit for , and are past their reach , lest they turn their practical Religion into wordy contentious sidings , and make their Churches Militant against themselves , and other brethten ) I did aver to them upon my long observation and experience , that so much of those difficult Controversies among Christians doth lye in bare ambiguous words and notions , ( or unrevealed things ) as will hardly be believed by such as have not throughly tryed it : yea , not only among Protestants , but some such Controversies with the Papists themselves ; where I told you by distinction , that our Controversies with them are of two sorts ; 1. Some that a carnal interest bred and feedeth , such as their Papal usurped Power , and Tyrannical Church Government , and Indulgences , and their Carnal way of worship , and all those Doctrines ( as Purgatory , and such others ) which serve the same interest and ends : And in all these our difference is great indeed , and unreconcileable unless they change : But 2. There are some points which no carnal interest , but the meer difficulty of the matter , and the weakness of man's understanding make a Controversie ; such as ( I named them ) about Election and Reprobation , and Physical predetermination , and universal Redemption , the definition of man's Power and free will , the way of Divine operations on the Soul , the nature and difference of effectual and sufficient Grace ; Perseverance , God's providence about the causation of sin , and other such like ) : And here I say again so much of the difference lyeth in words differently understood , as few believe : And a man well skilled in opening such wordy ambiguities , and truly stating Controversies , might force many to confess that they mean the same thing , while they trouble the Church by rendring each other odious for the difference . And that in the foresaid points , the Papists more differ one from another , than the Protestants do among themselves , or from the adverse part of them : The Synode of Dort ( and the English Articles and Doctrine ) not going near so far from the very Jesuits ( or Arminians or Lutherans ) as the Dominicans and Jansenists do ; and I would have no Christians think or say that they differ where they do not , nor make the worst man seem worse than he is , nor wrong any adversary , and harden them by wronging them , and that to our own hurt and dishonour . But instead of this which I thus delivered , it hath been reported abroad the City , that I said , the difference between us and the Papists , was but in words ; and all the said distinction and instances left out : And I humbly now propose it to such Brethren , whether this be serving the Lord or his Truth , or profitable to the hearers and reporters Souls , or safe or honourable to themselves , and who is served and gratifyed hereby . And whether those Teachers that have bought their little knowledge at as dear a rate as any of them , deserve not better Justice from them , if not the charity of personal conviction or instruction , instead of all this behind our backs , when we cannot right our selves , or save the hearers ; and whether such requital for our labours will be their peace at last , or their honour to posterity . Though to me it must be a small thing to be judged of man , being going to the judgment of the Lord ; and small to be denyed the praise of Man , which is the Hypocrites poor reward . And I doubt not but that which the erroneous accuse , will be profitable to impartial teachable persons ; and as errors have in all ages been shorter lived than truth , so the age that followeth may entertain that , which prejudiced mistaught persons at present do resist . And it is sound Doctrine that must make sound Christians , and sound Churches : which must not by any faithful Minister be betrayed ; especially not for fear of displeasing them , who would hate their errors if they did but know them ; and who expect that we should flatter neither Princes nor Prelates , were we to preach to them , who yet can offer us far greater temptations , than these offended persons , from whom we crave and expect no more , but entertainment of Gods truth as far as we prove it , or at least to stay while they impartially consider it , and not fearlesly to speak evil of that which they never understood . But if with some mis-led hearers , so much wisdom and conscience is not to be hoped for , I am perswaded that in England , few Ministers of Christ will prove so weak as to propagate or approve such errors . POSTSCRIPT . I Must here also tell the World that there are divers Sheets published and cryed about as mine ; with my Name prefixed ; ( as one called [ Mr. Baxter's Directions for Family Duties ; another of Sentences about Conversion , ] and more such , which are none of mine ▪ but are falsly so pretended to my wrong : some said to be Printed by Iohn Conniers in Southwark , and some by others . FINIS .