Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT70 .B397 1675

48 Of god's gracious Operationson Man's Soul : and with fecond caufes, fo it is not a Miracle, becaufe in the way of his ordinateco-operationwith his Gofpel, heordinarily producethit. 6. So that as all Chrifliansmuft confers that we had neverbelieved if God hadnot wrought it inusby that fpirit of wifdom and Love which is Omnipotent ; fo tocontend any further whether it be a Miracle, anda pro- per Creation, or an effe&of Omnipatency as fuck, 6,c. are fuch queftions as prefumptuous Schoolmen heretofore, and hot headed Se&cries in our times, haveufed to affli& the Church of Chrift with, and to tempt their ignorant zealous followers into fuch employments, as moft éffe&wally de- (troy their charity, and injureothers, and fcandalizethe world: Maldec s againlì the Synod of Dort and I. a. q rrr. art. g. dub. 8.be- flits hirrifelfwith fpecial induftry to tell what Gratia efficax is: Andhe concludeth that it is af- flatus gratia pravenientu, dr rub genera gratia exci- tantis ; dr qúæ non refiu- itter cum refjui. polt ; ra- therpræparans voluntatem 'gum adluvans: relating Valencia who placeth it in the Habit of Grace caufed by excitation ; and a Lorca who takes it op be adjuvant sand thofe that make it co-operant; and thofe that place it in prædetermination phyylieal; of which he confuteth four opinions,p.goa. and faith prababiltor fententia eft qua negar omnimodam gratia infallibilitatera , adeóque eficaciara fumi poffe ex fola reali aliqua differentia, confederata ex partegrade provenientes. Andthat Juli and unjuft have effectual grace, and therefore it differeth not from fufficient really. And he refolveth all per fientiam mediase, that Grace is effe&ual be- caufe ax propofito con- vertendi Deus ita ;smitten: trahit (trot aptum posit at fegaatur Cr certilme feau- tarnm: and fo that Grace is effe8ual ex natura fiat and not fo called only ex tvyntu. SECT. XV. Of the fuffaciencyand efficacy of Grace". T Have Paid fo much of this before as that, left 1 be tedious by I repetition, I mutt bebut brief. t' I. Byfufficient Grace is meant that which is neceffaryto theeffel, and without which it Cannot be, but with it, it may be, though it fometimes be not. 2. That there is fuch afufieient Grace not alwayes effe&ual to mans a&, is before proved by /!dams Cafe. Andthat noman bath fuck now for any means or duty in order to his recovery, as Adam had to /land when he fell, is not to be afferted or received. And that no prepared foul bath fuch fofficientGrace to believe, that yet believeth nor,is athing that is pall our reach to know. 3. Thisfufficient Grace confif'eth in a Power to the a& : when the Indifpofitionof the natural power, is fo faraltered, or repreffed, as that by the means and helps vouchfafed by God, the a& is Morally poffible to be done. Forhe that trulycan do it, all things confidered, is well faid to have fuchneceffary grace. p. 4. But Godof his bounty ufually giveth men more than fuch ameer moral poffibility, bymany additional helps and urgenciesto thea&, which I mentioned before. 5. Butby [ fufficient ] is not meant [As muchas is refeful; yeaor needfulto the Afcertatning of the Event, much lefs to themeliority of the a&.] el. 6. II. The EFFICACY of Grace relateth to the effe& : And by the effe& it muff be defcribed. Efficacy is Aptitudinal, which is the force and fitnefs of the Efficient Carafe : Or 'Waal, which is Efficiency it Pelf. t. 7. Aptitudinal efficacy is a. In God; 2. In the means : And r. In Gods Abfblute Power ; z. In his Ordinate Power. rs. 8. 1. Gods Abfolute Power is Omnipatency, or Infinite g and there fore was aptitudinally efficacious to make aworld before it was made. 4, 9. z. Gods Ordinate Power is the fame Effential Omnipotent, de- nominated from the Connotation of thofe effe&s, whichhe bathdecreed to produce, according to the limited aptitude of fecond Caufes and means, or the difpoftion of the recipient, or at leaf!, as limited in the effedfs by his meerfreewill. . so. In there refpee ts, though 1E11 Gods power in it Pelf be Omni- potency, yet in the limited way of operation, it is various, I. As Gods will quoad terminus is various, 2. And as themeans are various, 3. And as

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