Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT70 .B397 1675

Of the, Nature, knowledge, Will onlyof proper efficiency. ) He doth but will that Holinefi be; and calf all that hath any entityin it; And fo they fàyhe doth about fin. 5 87. Obi. He loveth our Holinefsfor it Pelf, andfo he Both notfin. Anre. The firft is denyed by t emfelves, if you fpeak of Gods end: For they confefs that God onlyis his own end, for which he loveth all things : a., And his Love is either his efficient or complacential Volition. i. The efficient which is allthat is now in queftion they mutt confefs is etjttal to both, if he equallywill the exiflenceof both. Objet. But he bath a Complacence in Good only. "Infw. r. He bath aComplacence in the fulfilling of his own will as efficient. Therefore if fin be the fulfillingof his Will, he hath a corn-: placency in it. The formal reafon of a pleating obje l to God is, as it is the fulfilling of his own Will ; And to break his Law they make to be fuch : ergo, pleating. a. But if it were not fo, that's nothing to our Cafe, of the efficient Will. 588. 4. To avoid tedioufnefs, in fum, This opinion feemeth to me;' to leave very little or no place for the Chriftian Religion. For i. It overthroweth theformale obleebumfidei, which is Veracitas Divina, and leaveth no certainty of any word of God : For if he do will and pre- determineby premotion, ut fat omne mendaciam, rod fit, then wehave no way to know that hedid not foby the Prophetsand Apoftles. a. It maketh theScripture falfe, which faith fo much of Gods hatred and un- willingnefsof fin. 3. It oblicerateth thenotion of Gods Holinefs,' which is, made the great reafon of our holinefs. 4. It maketh mans Holinefs to be no Holinefs, but a common or indifferent thing. 5. It maketh fin, fo little odious (as being a Divine off-fpring) as will deftroy the hatred of it andcare to avoid it. 6. It will thereby nullifie all our Godly for- row, repenting, confeffion, and all praflice of means againft any fin. 7. It will hardly let men believe that Chrift cameinto the world, and did and fuffered fo much to favemen from fin, and to deftroy it. 8. Or that it is the work of the Holy Ghoftto fanStifie fouls and mortifie fin. 9. Ir will hardly let men believe that there is anyHell, and that God will damn men fòr ever, for that which they did upon his prevolition and predeter- mination, unavoidably. ro. It feemeth to give Satans defcription to God, and more. For ratan can but tempt us to fin, butthey make God abfilutely to will that it be, and phyficallyto predetermine us to it. And fo Chrift that came to deftroy the work of the Devil, the fatherof lies, malice andmurder, fhouid come todeftroy the work of God. sr. It tak- eth away the reafonof Church difcipline, and purity, and of our loving the Godly and hating wickednefs. r a. Itwould tempt Magiftrates accord- inglyto judgeof viceand vertue, goodandbad in the Common wealth. 589. Now to their arguments. 5. Rev. 57.57. [Godput it into their hearts to do his will, andto agree to giveup their Kingdoms to the leaf 4nfw. ì. He that readeth Dr. Hammonds expofition applying this to Alaricur Packing Rome, with theeffets, will fee that the very fubiec7 is fo dubious and dark as not to be fit to found fuch a do&rine on. a. It was the ejfeil of the fin thatGod willed, and not the fin. 3. He is not Paid to put the fin into their hearts, whether pride, covetoufnefs, cruelty, jc. but only to dohi, pleafure and agree (or make one decree) to give up &c. which he could moft eafily do by puttingmanygood and lawful thoughts into their hearts, whichwith their own fins, would have that effeét which he willed : If a thief have awillto rob, Godmay puc it into his heart to go fuch or fuch away, whereawicked man to be punifhed will be in his way. 59o. But

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=