Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT70 .B397 1675

and Decrees ofqod, &c. i i 7 «themfeïves and todeceivers, for their former fins : that fo their fin fhould " be a punifhment of their fin. . "Sent. 12. He that faith, ï that obedience is withdrawn from forne that «are called and live pioufly.and righteoufly that they may ceafe to "obey, doth think ,ill of GodsGoodnefs and juftice, as feeming to con- " ftrain thegodly to ungodlinefs, and to take away good mens innocency 'r from them ; When as He is the Giver and Keeperof godlinefs and inno- ' cent;: He therefore that adhereth to God,; is aétedby the Spirit ofGod " but he thatdeparteth fromGod; doth fall from hisobedience ( orceafe it) " by his own will. " Sent. 13. He that faith, that fome men are not made by God to this "end that they might obtain eternal life , but that they might be. the 'Cornaments of their times , and for the good of others , would fpeak "better if he laid, that God who is the Creator of all men, .maketh not "them in vain, who he forefeeth will not be partakers of life eternal "Becaufe even in bad men, nature isGods good work, and Juftice in " their damnation is laudable. But he cannot well be blamed that faith; that even by the conditionof fuck the World is adorned *, and thatthofe z But not by their fin ït "that húrt thernfelves by their own iniquity,are born for thegood.ofothers:. fell '' For themultitude of the ungodly though innumerable is not difgraceful " (or adeformity ) to the World, or unprofitable to theKingdom ofGod; feeing that by their propagation cometh the generation that is to be "regenerate ; and by tolerating and loving them, Gods people become, ,cj the more illuftrious. g' Sent. 14. He that faith, that they that believenot the preaching of ?'the Gofpel, are unbelievers byGods predeftination, and thatGod fode- 40 creed, that they that believe not be unbelieversby his appointment (or " decree) is nota Catholick : For as Faith which worketh by Love is Godsgift, founbelief is none ofGods conflitution : Becaufe God know- ' e'li how to ordainPunifhment for fin, but not fin it felf. And it .fol "loweth not, that whathe remitreth not, he committeth : Thepredeftinate "therefore livethby the faith whichis given him : The non- predeftinate pe- "rifh byVoluntary andnot conftrained infidelity. "Sent. i 5. He that faith, that Foreknowledge is the fame with pre- " deftination, .doubtlefs in our goodworks, conjoynerh (or Ipixeth) thofe "two : For what we have ofGods gift, and is laid to be foreknown, mull "needs be predeftinate : And what is Paid to bepredeftinate, mull needs "be foreknown. But in our . evil, works , only the foreknowledge 'rOf God muff be únderftood. $ecaufe as he foreknew and predeftinated "the things which he Both hinifelf, and givethus todo : fo he FORE- ç'KNEW ONLY and DID NOT PREDESTINATE the things "_ which he neither doth hiinfelf, nor requireth us to do. S CT

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=