CHAPTER II.

DOCTRINAL WORKS.

Introductory Observations-Aphorisms of Justification'-Animadversions on the Aphorisms by Burgess, Warren, Wallis, Cartwright, and LawsonOther Antagonists—' Apology ’—Molinæus, Crandon, Eyres-'Confession of Faith'-' Perseverance - Kendal - Barlow-Shepherd-'Saving Faith' 'Dissertations on Justification'-On Justifying Righteousness'-Controversy with Tully- Original Sin'- Universal Redemption'-' Catholic Theology'-' Methodus Theologiæ '-' End of Doctrinal Controversies'— General View of Baxter's Doctrinal Sentiments-Strictures on his Manner of conducting Controversy-Conclusion.

THE doctrinal works of Baxter, which naturally follow his writings on the evidences of religion, with the controversies in which they involved him, occupied a large portion of his active and useful life. It will be expected, therefore, that a full account of this class of his writings, and of his peculiar theological sentiments, should be given in this chapter. Though I have not shrunk from labour, in endeavouring to accomplish the task which I have voluntarily undertaken, I frankly confess that this part of it has been more difficult than any other; and I fear it may not afford the reader all the satisfaction he anticipates or desires. The immense extent of Baxter's writing on disputable subjects; the peculiar character of his mind-subtle, acute, and versatile, in an extraordinary degree; the manner in which he was assailed by the men of all parties and of all creeds, which led to a great diversity of defence and attack on his part; his favourite scheme of union and reconciliation-involving a variety of concessions, and tempting him to avail himself of many refined and untangible distinctions, are some of the causes and sources of those difficulties which belong to the attempt to ascertain his precise sentiments, and correctly to represent the design of his voluminous productions.

Whatever view may be taken of his opinions on various subordinate subjects, it is certain that on all matters of essential and vital importance in the evangelical system, he held those truths which are most surely believed among all genuine Christians. He had, indeed, his own mode of explaining certain points, which a man who thought so much and so independently must have had. He was not formed to be an implicit believer in human creeds, or to follow in the steps of any uninspired On the other hand, he had no ambition to be the founder of a new school of theology; for, though his name has been prefixed to a class, that class has never constituted a separate party, but, in as far as it has existed, has been found among persons of various parties: few even of whom would probably have been acknowledged by Baxter himself as altogether of his mind, and still fewer of them, perhaps, would have acknowledged him as their apostle.

The time has been when it would have been dangerous to the reputed orthodoxy of an individual who should have professed great respect for the doctrinal views of Baxter. High Arminians on the one hand, and high Calvinists on the other, agreed to revile him. Baxterianism was a term of reproach, readily applied to many who were sounder in the faith than some of those who arrogated to themselves the exclusive appellation of orthodox. That time, however, has passed away. The character of Baxter has outlived all the reproaches fulminated against it, and we may now, without fear of dishonour, state his opinions, analyse his doctrines, and defend or advocate his cause where we believe it to be just. It is my business to give a faithful statement of matter of fact, "neither to extenuate, nor set down aught in malice," respecting our author; with whom I sometimes agree, and sometimes differ, on the topics discussed in this chapter.

In 1649, Baxter began his career of authorship by a small publication, entitled "Aphorisms of Justification." This work deserves attention, not so much on its own account, for he acknowledges it was written "in his immature youth, and the crudity of his new conceptions,"" as because it contains the germs of his leading sentiments, and was the occasion of the

"The copy of the Aphorisms used by me is one of the second edition, which was pretended to be printed at the Hague, 1655, but in reality was printed surreptitiously by a Cambridge bookseller. This copy contains many mar ginal notes, and alterations of the text, in the hand-writing of Mr. Baxter. Of

greater part of the doctrinal controversies in which he engaged. The professed object of it is, to explain the nature of justification, the covenants, satisfaction, righteousness, faith, works, &c. This he attempts in a series of eighty theses, or propositions, with their respective explanations. That he did not succeed to his own satisfaction, he freely acknowledges; and that it was still less satisfactory to others, appears from the numerous animadversions and defences which it occasioned. He blames himself for deficiency and incautiousness, and for meddling imprudently with Dr. Owen. "It was overmuch valued," he says, "by some, and overmuch blamed by others; both contrary to my own esteem of it. It cost me more than any other book that I have written; not only by men's offence, but especially by putting me on long and tedious writings. But it was a great help to my understanding, for the animadverters were of several minds, and what one approved another confuted, being further from each other than any of them were from me."

Among those who furnished him with strictures, some in manuscript, and some in print, were Mr. Anthony Burgess, to whom, and Richard Vines, it was dedicated. Mr. John Warren; Dr. John Wallis, one of the scribes to the Westminster Assembly, and well known for his mathematical talents; Mr. Christopher Cartwright, of York, a Presbyterian minister of considerable learning; and Mr. George Lawson, of whom Baxter gives rather a long description. But I must give his own account of these individuals, as it contains some things worthy of being recorded.

"The first that I craved animadversions from was Mr. Burgess, and with much ado, extorted only two or three letters against justification by works, as he called it; which, with my answers, were afterwards published; when he had proceeded to print against me what he would not give me in writing.

"The next and full animadversions which I received, were from Mr. John Warren, an honest, acute, ingenious man, to whom I answered in freer expressions than others, because he was my junior and familiar friend; being a school-boy at Bridgnorth when I was preacher there, and his father was my neighbour. Next to his, I had animadversions from Dr. John Wallis, very judicious and moderate, to which I began to write

these the expression quoted above is part. Many of these notes and altera. tions discover the progress of the writer's mind, and the amiable candour by which it was distinguished. At the head of one thesis, he says, "There is nothing in this section worth reading."

a reply, but broke it off in the middle, because he little differed from me.

"The next I had, was from Mr. Christopher Cartwright, of York, who defended the king against the Marquis of Worcester. He was a man of good reading, as to our later divines, and was very well versed in the common road; a very good Hebrician, and a very honest, worthy person. His animadversions were most against my distinction of righteousness into legal and evangelical, according to the two covenants. His answer was full of citations out of Amesius, Whittaker, Davenant, &c. I wrote him a full reply; and he wrote me a rejoinder; to which, my time not allowing me to write a full confutation, I took up all the points of difference between him and me, and handled them briefly, confirming my reasons for the ease of the reader and myself.

"The next animadverter was Mr. George Lawson, the ablest man of them all, or of almost any I know in England; especially by the advantage of his age, and very hard studies, and methodical head, but above all, by his great skill in politics, wherein he is most exact, which contributeth not a little to the understanding of divinity. He was himself near the Arminians, differing from them only in the point of perseverance as to the confirmed, and some little matters more; and though he went further than I did from the Antinomians, yet being conversant with men of another mind, to redeem himself from their offence, he set himself against some passages of mine, which others marvelled that he, of all men, should oppose; especially about the object of faith and justification. He afterwards published an excellent sum of divinity, called Theopolitica; in which he insisteth on these two points, to make good what he had said in his MS. against me.

"He hath written, also, animadversions on Hobbes, and a piece on ecclesiastical and civil policy, according to the method of politics; an excellent book, were it not that he seemeth to justify the king's death, and meddles too boldly with the political controversies of the times, though he was a Conformist. I have also seen some ingenious manuscripts of his for the taking of the engagement to be true to the Commonwealth, as established without a king and house of lords, his opinions being much for submitting to the present possessor, though a usurper; but I thought those papers easily answerable. His animadversions on my papers were large, in which he frequently took occasion to

be copious and distinct, in laying down his own judgment, which pleased me very well. I returned him a full answer, and received from him a large reply; instead of a rejoinder to which, I summed up our differences, and spoke to them briefly and distinctly, and not verbatim to the words of his book. I must thankfully acknowledge that I learned more from Mr. Lawson than from any divine that gave me animadversions, or that ever I conversed with. For, two or three passages in my first reply to him, he convinced me, were mistakes; and I found up and down in him those hints of truths which had a great deal of light in them, and were very apt for good improvement, especially his instigating me to the study of politics, in which he much lamented the ignorance of divines, did prove a singular benefit to me. I confess it owing to my own uncapableness that I have received no more good from others. But yet I must be so grateful as to confess that my understanding hath made a better improvement of Grotius 'De Satisfactione Christi,' and of Mr. Lawson's manuscripts, than of any thing else that ever I read. They convinced me how unfit we are to write about Christ's government, laws, and judgment, while we understand not the true nature of government and laws in general; and that he that is ignorant of politics, and of the law of nature, will be ignorant and erroneous in divinity and the sacred Scriptures." x

Thus did Baxter, at a very early period of his life, launch into the ocean of controversy, on some of the most interesting subjects that can engage the human mind. The manner in which he began to treat them was little favourable to arriving at correct and satisfactory conclusions; but the persons whom he engaged to discuss them with him, were all men of respectable powers in theological argument, from whose letters or publi cations he derived considerable profit.

To give a concise and accurate opinion of these Aphorisms, is no easy task. This difficulty arises from the great number of separate propositions, which are neither always consistent with truth nor with one another. As a book, it abounds in moral and metaphysical distinctions, and yet its definitions are frequently both inaccurate and obscure. It contains a large portion of truth, mixed and interwoven with no small portion of error. When he thus expresses himself about our participation of Christ's righteousness, every true Christian is prepared to go along with him: "That God, the Father, doth accept the

* Life, part i. pp. 107, 108.