Selected quad for the lemma: book_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	call_v	true_a	word_n	1,739	5	3.8086	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A26938	How far holinesse is the design of Christianity where the nature of holiness and morality is opened, and the doctrine of justification, imputation of sin and righteousness, &c. partly cleared, and vindicated from abuse : in certain propositions, returned to an unknown person, referring to Mr. Fowlers treatise on this subject / by Richard Baxter.	Baxter, Richard, 1615-1691.	1671 (1671)	Wing B1282; ESTC R6861	14,037	25

HOW FAR HOLINESSE IS THE DESIGN OF CHRISTIANITY Where the Nature of Holiness and Morality is opened and the Doctrine of Justification Imputation of Sin and Righteousness c. partly cleared and Vindicated from Abuse In certain Propositions returned to an unknown Person referring to Mr. Fowlers TREATISE on this SUBJECT By RICHARD BAXTER LONDON Printed for NEVILL SIMONS at the three Crowns at Holborn Conduit 1671. Qu. Whether Holinesse be the only Design of Christianity SIR THe Sum of your Letter is That Mr. Fowler and many others of late by crying up Holiness as the Only Design of Christianity do 1. give us a description of such a Holiness as is but the meer morality of a Heathen A sound complexion of soul c. 2. And that they greatly obscure or drown the whole Doctrine of our Justification and Adoption and of Christs Satisfaction and imputed Righteousness and make the Glory of this to be none of the Design of Christianity 3. That by this they tempt men that can but imagine that Seneca Antonine Epictetus Plutarck or Cicero do give as wise and wholsome Precepts of Virtue and good living as Christ to think as highly of them as of Christ 4. That hence they secretly reproach both the Imposers of Conformity and the Non-conformists and magnifie the stretching conscience of the Passive Latitudinarian Conformist as the only wise man that careth for none of these little things And that they secretly undermine all Instituted Ordinances 5. That because my Aphorisms and other Writings have had some hand in breeding such opinions I am doubly guilty in being silent now they spread and prosper This being the sum of your Complaint I shall answer to all this in that manner as the nature of the thing requireth In General I must tell you that I am responsible for no mans Writings but my own Neither shall you hereby tempt me to become an Aristarchus and arrogant Censurer of other mens This is all that I need to say of the Book you mention that it is of very much worth and use to call men more seriously to consider of the Design of mans Redemption and of the nature of true Religion and Felicity And though I will not defend every word in my own writings much less in other mens when I am not concerned yet I may say that I had rather perswade the Licencious of this age to the careful reading of that Book than turn it into matter of strife But it is only my own judgment about the things in question which you can reasonably expect which I think the brevity requisite in a Letter directeth me to give you in certain self-evidencing coherent Propositions Prop. 1. GOD is the Beginning the Ruler and the End of all Of him and through him and to him are all things 2. The word Design doth signifie sometime the act of Intention sometime the End intended In the Question it must needs signifie the later Therefore instead of it I shall henceforth use that common word 3. By the End of Christianity I doubt not is meant 1. The End of God and our Redeemer in the framing and imposing Christianity on mankind 2. The end which man is bound to intend in receiving and using Christianity These two are called Finis operantis 3. And the end to which the frame of the Christian Religion is adapted which is called Finis operis 4. Holiness in Creatures is their separation from common uses unto God Omne sanctum Deo sanctum est 5. Holiness in Rational free-agents is such a separation to God as is agreeable to their Natures 6. Holiness is to be described with distinct respects 1. To the subject 2. To the object And 1. s to the whole subject 2. as to the distinct faculties 7. Holiness in the whole subject is 1. Active 2. Dispositive or Habitual 3. Relative or is In our Acts Habits Relations 8. Active Holiness is our Active Dedication devotion or adherence unto God begun in our Conversion to him and Christian Covenant with him and exercised after in the practice of our lives 9. Habitual Holiness is that fixed Inclination or Disposition of the soul by which it is fitted to perform the aforesaid Active adherence and devotion with strength facility and constancy 10. Relative Holiness is the Relation of Man or Angel thus actively and dispositively devoted to God which is particularly to be considered with the Object 11. Besides the commoner Holiness of all Saints there is also an Office-Holiness of Magistrates though some deny it and of Christs Ministers which containeth their Active Dedication to their proper work their Dispositive Aptitude for it and their Relation to God in it And accordingly the anointing to such office and the giving of the Holy Ghost for its performance signifie somewhat else than the common sanctification of all Saints As the work to which they are anointed is more 12. Holiness in respect of the distinct faculties is 1. In the vital and executive Power for such a distinct faculty there is and then it is called Spiritual Quickning Life and Strength 2. In the Understanding where it is called Spiritual Illumination or Light Knowledge and faith 3. In the will where it is called Spiritual Love and Holiness in an eminent narrower sense 13. Holiness is not to be described or understood without its proper Object which doth essentially Constitute it It s no true description which omitteth it 14. The Object of Holiness Primary Immediate and proper is GOD himself The secondary and remoter Object is the Impressions Image or Glory of God in his works 15. GOD is the object and terminus of our Holiness as in his Divine Per●ections so in his three grand Relations as he is our Efficient Dirigen● and Finial Cause And in his three great Relations to his Intellectual Creatures as he is our Owner our Ruler and our Lover or Benefactor All comprized in the word Father And this on the Fundamental Relation and work of his being our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier 16. Our Holiness therefore is our answerable threefold Relation to God that we be sui subditi amatores his Own his Subjects and his Lovers All comprehended in the word Children that we be peculiarly the children of God 17. From all this the true description of Holiness is obvious and sure viz. that it is the Active Habitual and consequently relative Separation Dedication Devotion of Intellectual free-agents by Life Light and Love to God our Father as his Children or to God our Absolute Owner Ruler and Benefactor our Creator Redeemer and Sanctifier as his own peculiars his Subjects and his Lovers 18. Though every one that is Holy hath not this distinct and orderly conception of the nature of Holiness yet every one that is Holy hath really all this in himself And its pity that so useful a part of knowledge as is that of the pourtraicture of the new Creature or the Image of God on man should not be found