(3.) The benefits derived to all men equally, from the satisfaction of Christ, he thus states: "All man- kind, immedl lehj upon Christ's satisfaction, are re- deemed and delivered from that legal necessity of per- ishing which they were under (not by remitting sin or punishment directly to them, but by giving up God's jus puniendi [right of punishing] into the hands of the Redeemer; nor by giving any right directly to them, but per meram resultantiam [by mere conse- quence] this happy change is made for them in their relation, upon the said remitting of God's right and ad- vantage of justice against them), and they are given up to the Redeemer as their owner and ruler, to be dealt with upon terms of mercy which have a tendency to their recovery. God the Father and Christ the Mediator hath freely, without any prerequisite condi- tion on man's part, enacted a law of grace of universal extent in regard of its tenor, by which he giveth, as a deed or gift, Christ himself, with all his following hene^ fits which he bestowcth (as benefactor and legislator) ; and this to all alike, without excluding any, upon condition they believe and accept the offer. By this law, testament, or covenant, all men are conditimaUy pardoned, justified, and reconciled to God already, and no man absolutely ; nor doth it make a difference, nor take notice of uny, till men's performance or non- performance of the condition makes a difference. In the new law Christ hath truly gimen himself -with a con- ditional pardon, justification, and conditional right to sid- vition, to all men in the world, without exception."
(4.) But the peculiarity of Baxter's scheme will be seen from the following farther extracts: "Though Christ, died equally for all mm, in the aforesaid law serise, as he satisfied the offended legislator, and as giv-
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ing himself to all alike in the conditional covenant, yet he never properly intended or purposed the actual justify- ing and saving of all, nor of any but those that come to be justified and saved ; he did not, therefore, die for all, nor for any that perish, with a degree of resolution to save them, much less did he die for all alike, as to this intent. Christ hath given faith to none by his law or testament, though he hath revealed that to some he will, as benefactor and Dominus Absolutus [absolute Lord], give that grace which shall infallibly produce it ; and God hath given some to Christ that he might prevail with them accordingly ; yet this is no giving it to the person, nor hath he in himself ever the more title to it, nor can any la}' claim to it as their due. It belongeth not to Christ as sutisfer, nor yet as l< gidator, to make wicked refusers to become willing, and receive him and the benefits which he offers ; therefore he may do all for them that is fore-expressed, though he cure not their unbelief. Faith is a fruit of the death of Christ (and so is all the good which we do enjoy), but not directly, as it is satisfaction to justice ; but only re- motely, as it proceedeth from that jus dominii [right of dominion] which Christ has received to send the Spirit in what measure and to whom he will, and to suc- ceed it accordingly ; and as it is necessary to the at- tainment of the farther ends of his death in the certain gathering and saving of the elect."
(5.) Thus the whole theory amounts to this, that, although a conditi.nal sulfation has been purchased by Christ for all men, and is offered to them, and all legal difficulties are removed out of the way of their pardon as sinners by the atonement, yet Christ hath not pur- chased for an}- man the gift of faith, or the power of performing the condition of salvation, required; but gives this to some, and does not give it to others, by virtue of that absolute dominion over men which he has pur- chased for himself, so that, as the Calvinists refer the decree of election to the sovereignty of the Father, Baxter refers it to the sovereignty of the Son; one makes the decree of reprobation to issue from the Cre- ator and Judge, the other from the Bedeemer himself. The Baxterian theory, with modifications, is adopted by many of the English and American Congregation- alists, New School Presbyterians, and United Presby- terians of Scotland.
Baxter's chief English works are, 1. A Narration of his men Life and Times: — 2. The Saint's Everlasting Rest: — 3. A Paraphrase on the New Testament: — 4. A Ccdl to the Unconverted (of which twenty thousand copies were sold in one year, and which has been translated into every European language) : — 5. Lying Thoughts :— G. The Poor Man's Family Book .—7. The Reformed Pastor. He also wrote several books in Latin; among them — 1. Epistola de generali omnium Protestantium unione adversns Papatum : — 2. Dissertaiio de baptismo Infantum e Scripiura demonstrato: — 3. Cate- chism us Quake rianus : — i. Be Regimine Eccksiw : — 5. De Republica Sancta (against the Oceana of Harring- ton) : — C. Be Universcdi Redemptione, contra Calvinum et Bezam : — 7. Ilistoria Conciliorum, etc. etc. In all, he is said to have composed one hundred and forty- five works in folio, and sixty-three in 4to, besides a multitude of more trifling writings. The list prefixed to Orme's Life of Baxter includes 1G8 treatises. His Practical Works were reprinted in 1830 (London, 23 vols. 8vo) ; his controversial writings have never been fully collected, and many of them are very scarce. His fame chiefly rests on his popular works, and on his Methodus Theologiaz and Catholic Tlienlogy, in which his peculiar views are embodied. Baxter left behind him a Narrative of the most Memorable Passages of his Life and Times, which was published in a folio volume after his death (169G) by Sylvester, under the title Reliquice Baxteriana. It is here that we find that re- view of his religious opinions written in the latter part of his life, which Coleridge speaks of as one of the most remarkable pieces of writing that have come