Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT70 .B397 1675

And the Sub-operations of Man's Will. rotholinefs, and in the Godly fofar as they fin r becaufe that it Ihall be fo, is more ( yea only) willed by God, and caufed by his predetermina-. tion XXXVII. Q,Whether this dodrine tend not to utter Infidelity, as tà the Chrillian faith, by making it feem to men incredible r Is it credible. that God fent his Son fo wonderfully to expiate thole fins which he fo loved and caufed as aforefaid ? and to fave his people from their fins, which God thus unavoidably moved them to commit ? and to deftroy the works of God, under the nameof deftroyingthe worksof the Devil? Mutt Chrift fuller, bleed, die and bear Gods wrath, for that which God unavoidably . made man do by his principal determination? Arid is it eafie for him that believethoneof thefe to believe theother? XXXVIII. Q, How will men preach and hear the Gofpel, if they do it in congruity with this doóirine? Will they fay [God fent us to befeech and charge you, not to do that finful att, which you cannot do unlefs he makeyoudo it by predetermination, and which you cannot avoid if he fo make you doit. He befeecheth and itnportuneth you to do all thole com-. . manded alts, which you can no more do than make a world unlefs he pre- determineyou to do them, nor can forbear them if he dor] XXXIX..Q,_,Howwill men Repent, confer, refill temptations, pray,. and ufe the means of Grace, if they believe thatall finful alts in theworld are thusunavoidably Caufed, and Willed. and Loved of God as good for his Glory XL. ,.,_Whether they that teach. (as Dr. Tvvife often) that finis not nlalumDea fed nojiri, do not take it to be no injury to God, noé.difpleaf- ingto his will Or is not injury and dirpleafng, evil in refpeli: to God as the terminus, though it be nohurt tohim, nor his evil as the fubjec`l or agent ? And doth not the opinion that it's Evil only tg us, and Good to, Godas conducible to his glory, teachmen to hate it only out offilflove, and not out of love to the gloryof God ? yea toLove it as conducibleto Gods Glory, móre than to hate it as evil to our felves ; fetingGods Glorymull be preferred above ourfelves ? XLI. Is not fin thus madea coequal with chr ?. who is but,a means to the glorifying of God, to which faith (Dr. Twiffe) fia is fummé sondocibole? XLII. U_ Doth not this doctrine make the fantlification of the Holy Ghoul to beunneceffary ? whenall that is to be done to fave us from fan, is for God not to makeus fin byhis premotion r Or doth it not make fanéti. fication to be nothing but this predeterminationof God, which is made as neceffary to fin as to duty, and fo natural and gracious operations made the fame, and God to do as much to produce evil efficiently as good XLIII. Q, Is it not much worfe to man, if God by predetermination make him htít a !inner, ( and wicked by finfulHabits) and then damnhim for it than if helhould damn on innocent man for nothing ? For fin and pain is far worfe than painwithout fin. And to compel the will unwit- tinglyto fin, were it poffible, is lefs than to make it willing. XLIV. Doth not he that affirmeth that theDevil doth but fin as effi- ciently predetermined by God, andBoth not force, nor determine any mans will to any finful alt, but that God predetermineth all men and Devils to every finful altcommitted, I fay, doth he not defcribe Godas worfe than Satan ( borrefco quærens !) if [nbe the denominating evil, and the caujing offin be more than tempting to it? Had I not rather my .will were ri- ff íbly

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