Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT70 .B397 1675

And the Sub-operations of Man's ill. 79 O. V. II I, of the Scotitis and Nominals rioay. I I I. ^ Nd as to the thirdway, afcribed by.4lvarez to theswiftsand [A Nominal; , I think that ,denomine it is not á proper exprefon to call God caufa partiaes. But if we agree òf the fenfe, we may bear with improper expreffions about God, of whomwe can faynothing with. out forne impropriety. Doubtlefs God and man are not to be accounted co- ordinate concaufes of the aid ; bin whatever man doth, he dock it in fubordination to God. But God operateth r. As the prime caufe ofNa- tare, in a ftabliflicd way, by natural cadres ; And fo hegiveth 'min his Natural vital power and the Liberty of cling it : and by this Power and Liberty a man can do more than he alwayes Both. So that Gods natural caufality and concurfe doth not bring all the Power which he giveth men into proportionable adequate Afiion : but men freely exercite the fame power fometimemore and fometime lefs. i. And in the like manner God caufethgracious or holy acis : Reltifying our Powers, andfortifying them by holy habits, and preferving and afivating them, by the Holy Ghoft: Yet the Spirit is to Grace, as God thepriamo wife is to Nature : He giv- eth us more Gracious Power than we ufe, and than his own concurfe a1= wages reduceth into adequate ad : So that Gods operations inNature and Grace are notad ultimum poffe Dei, nor ad ultimum paffe hominis; but limited by his molt wife and holy will : And man as a free agent is not only Able, but obliged, to ufe his power further, than by all Gods concurfe or premotion it is ufed. And in this fenfe I conceive it is that scorns and others call God and man Gaufæ partiales, in that there is a certain proportion of premotion and help, which God as thefrft Gaufe ofNature and Grace, doth afford to man; And there is moreover a certain u(2 of Gods help and Grace, be- yond what God predetermineth man to, (ascomparative to this objeltra- ther than that, be.) which man can do, and is bound to do; Not inde- pendently or in co-ordination with God ; but by the Power and Liberty which God only giveth and upholdeth, and affordeth him fufficient help to aéìuate. Now if man do this Part which is left to his liberty, theef= felt alwayes follosreth. If he do nor, it may not follow, though God gave him that neceffary help or grace or premotion which is commonly, called fufficient. AndwhenScotus likeneth God and man, to two draw- ing a Boat, where .theftrength of both muff concufr, I believe hemeant no more than I have Paid. a. All the Power is ofGod as the totalfirft cau(e. a. All the Grace that reEtifieth and difpofeth our faculties , is of God as the total frft carafe. 3. All theAft as an Acl in genere, is ofGod as thetotal ( though not the foie) carafe. 4. All the Holinefs or MoralGoodnefs of the Ai t is ofGod as the total firft caufe ( though not theonly taufe. ) 5. But all the finfulnefs or moral evil of Ads, and Habits is from Man. 6. And that implyech, that mans free. will is not fo much freed from fn, mutability and infirmity, but that it can negleft to of well thepowef and helps of grace afforded. . But cf total andpartial Caufality I have fpokea Vafrce. (isbilupi) iàkèïli Alex. Al. i. p. q. 26. n.q: 42. ad. I. & Bonavent: I. d. qo. a. 2. q.: t. tobe for hiin, hecailfe they fay, Atlas saliras effe Jibe= ros quia Divina voluntas non eaq Tóta Caufa , fed cum libero arbitrio; quod cum litproxima caufa ma- dificaturcourse/em prima. tut if this be his opini- on hejoyneth with theft Scotifts and Nominal, de caufa non-totali. So Pet. à s.foreeph.Tbef. unit,. de Doi, faith that God Is caufa totius ofeaus, fed icon tata raafa; fed partila alit:

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